Hi all,
Also FYI see
http://www.theage.com.au/national/council-bars-birdwatchers-20100817-128jx.html
I'm heading to Alice Springs on the weekend of August 28.
Cheers,
Tim Dolby
Council Bars Birdwatchers
Lindsay Murdoch
The Age, August 18, 2010
BIRDWATCHERS have been prevented from travelling into the desert west of Alice
Springs to see a freak explosion of the princess parrot, one of Australia's
rarest, most enigmatic and elegant birds.
The Central Land Council, which represents Aboriginal groups, has refused to
issue travel permits to dozens of birdwatchers who travelled to Alice Springs
after the birds were discovered near Mount Winter in the eastern Gibson Desert
late last month.
About eight other groups of birdwatchers, known as ''twitchers'', are believed
to have gone to the area without permits and face possible convictions and
fines of up to $1000 for illegally entering Aboriginal land.
After a bumper season in central Australia, the population of the parrots
exploded in what birdwatchers say is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The nomadic parrots, expected to mysteriously disappear as they arrived, were
commonly seen around Alice Springs 50 years ago but their numbers have declined
dramatically, possibly as a result of collection for the pet trade and the
increased numbers of fires.
The long, slender birds with mostly green plumage, pink throat, bluish crown
and bright green shoulders are classified as vulnerable because they are at
risk of extinction in the wild.
Tasmanian couple Ian and Pat May discovered the parrots in an isolated area
several hundred kilometres west of Alice Springs. Their announcement excited
birdwatching enthusiasts across the country.
The Central Land Council, pointing to the fragility of the area's environment,
warned that ''visitors blindly walking around sacred sites and possibly
accidentally damaging them can cause great offence and hurt to traditional
owners''.
The council said it was open to discussing a ''manageable process'' for
birdwatchers to enter the area but no talks had taken place.
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