Today, Sunday 4th December, the annual Superb Parrot survey was conducted
in northern Victoria (Picola) and southern Riverina NSW.
In Victoria, 280 parrots were observed compared to 211 last year. For
Victoria, the lowest count was 54 in 1994 and the highest 411 in 2001.
Most Superb Parrots were observed in areas where shrubs have been planted.
Picola area landholders have planted in excess of 230,000 indigenous
shrubs. This year, 34 hectares wre planted with 20,000 shrubs and there was
18km of
direct seeding. Seeds are collected from local indigenous plants.
A DSE spokesman spoke to us about a recent incident involving inadvertent
logging in a Superb Parrot Special Protection Zone. He outlined what
happened, stressing that it is probable that no tree used by Superb Parrots
for nesting was cut and outlined measures to be taken to help prevent such
an incident from
occurring again. The logging company was not at fault. Special Protection
Zones have now been marked on the maps used by DSE and trees in Barmah
Forest with a diameter of greater than 100cm will not be logged (compared
to 150cm previously). In addition, a small exclusion zone (minimum 100m
radius) is set around each known tree in which Superbs nest.
On the NSW side of the Murray, I understand that about 100 Superb Parrots
were observed but I do not yet know the exact figures for the
Mathoura-Deniliquin area or how they compare with last year.
Keith Stockwell,
Echuca-Moama
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