Hi Andrew
Thanks for your detailed post about this amazing experience. You've helped
us understand a few more facets to this issue - much appreciated.
Russell
Russell Woodford
Birding-Aus List Owner
Geelong Victoria Australia
http://www.birding-aus.org
On Fri, December 3, 2010 11:42 pm, wrote:
> <HTML>
> Early today five birders (myself, Chris Gladwin, Ian Puckrin, Barbara
> Harvey and Peter Marsh) were the last group for the immediate future to be
> accompanied into the traditional lands of Haast's Bluff by Luritja elder
> Douglas Multa and his wife Kathleen in the hope of seeing Princess
> Parrots. We were joined also by the CLC's tourism development officer
> Peter Allsop, his wife Gail and two other traditional owners. I'll start
> by saying that for me personally seeing this species, which I believe to
> be the most exquisitely beautiful Australian bird, was close to a lifelong
> dream, and one I seriously doubted I might ever achieve. To be able to do
> so in this way - regardless of cost, an issue I have already commented on
> - was an enormous privilege, and not one any of us took lightly.<BR>
> <BR>
> The road west of Mereenie Loop gas field passes through extensive Desert
> Oak country before changing quite abruptly to large and graceful stands of
> Marbled Gum, with an understorey of mallee and spinifex. The main
> flowering plant here, and it was flowering in profusion, was the gorgeous
> Honey Grevillea (it's also quite delicious). It is, as most now know, the
> Marbled Gums in which these birds have been nesting. However, groups of
> birders have been reporting progressively fewer numbers as the months have
> passed, and we are now right at the tail end of this incredible breeding
> event. The vast majority of the parrots have already dispersed.<BR>
> <BR>
> So it was with no small amount of anxiety that we began our search at the
> main site, Douglas leading us as we fanned out across the dunes. The area
> was still alive with birds, with cockatiels and Budgerigars in abundance.
> This made for a huge amount of parrot chatter, but no PPs were immediately
> apparent. After about 20-25 minutes, however, Chris was picking up some
> harsher calls ahead of us - and then, like a dream, the first few Princess
> Parrots hove into view, briefly alighting on a high bare branch. They were
> quickly followed by a group of 10 cartwheeling past at high speed, and it
> seemed none were keen on staying put. The birds were wary, and our initial
> elation was tempered by the fact that it appeared they might choose to
> remain elusive.<BR>
> <BR>
> Much as reported last week, though, the parrots soon relaxed and we all
> enjoyed two of the best birding hours of our lives in their company.
> Maximum numbers were estimated at between 25 and 28 birds, but a
> completely accurate count was difficult as they were mostly split into
> separate smaller parties. Almost all were females with fully grown but
> still dependent juveniles, with females more than once being observed
> feeding their begging chicks - an amazing sight.<BR>
> <BR>
> At this point Chris returned to the car to fetch his telescope and was
> handsomely rewarded, as he approached what he thought were two birds
> feeding quietly on a Honey Grevillea, only to be stunned when a total of
> 16 birds exploded from the bush and on the ground in front of him when he
> took one step too close! For all of us, the sight of the lime-green
> shoulder panels of the parrots flashing against the bright sky on a warm,
> still morning as they circled around and over our heads was something
> never to be forgotten.<BR>
> <BR>
> Douglas was a pleasure to meet and talk to. He had never seen Princess
> Parrots on his land, another indication of just what a rare occurrence
> this is. I couldn't help but ask him about a certain other rare and
> mysterious parrot which very few people have encountered - and Douglas
> instantly claimed he had seen one only last month, approaching a waterhole
> in Desert Oak country at dusk! He said he had only ever seen a couple in
> his life. I checked with him about Bourke's Parrot and he shook his head
> firmly, indicating again the image of Night Parrot in Slater's field
> guide. Make of that what you will, but it makes sense that Night Parrots
> should also be present and probably breeding in such a spectacular
> season.<BR>
> <BR>
> However, I also feel obliged to report that Douglas made his feelings
> abundantly clear - trespassers on his land had been noted, had caused
> anger and distress, and were unwelcome. I don't say this to appear in any
> way holier-than-thou after the fact: I can certainly understand the
> temptation, and indeed had another earlier opportunity presented itself to
> go for these birds with or without permits, the birder in me would have
> been sorely tempted. However, in the end I am extremely grateful to have
> had this chance to go about all this with the correct permissions, and for
> me the considerable presence and authority of Douglas and Kathleen added
> massively to the experience.<BR>
> <BR>
> Like it or not, the land is private property and Douglas, along with a few
> others, is regarded as the elder and owner with the authority to permit
> entry. If you ask the first blackfella you encounter on the road whether
> it's OK to have a look around, then in his words, "You asking the wrong
> guys." This entire episode has proven an awkward clash of cultures and
> competing priorities. In the long run, I believe it will be of benefit to
> everybody if goodwill can be maintained, so that in the future other
> arrangements like this are more likely to be made (and, moreover, made
> more quickly than was the case on this occasion).<BR>
> <BR>
> In summary, I can only speak for ourselves in saying it was worth every
> last cent to take advantage of this opportunity. You could spend that sort
> of money, we noted, on helicopter rides around the local gorges, or
> whatever takes your fancy, really. This was our fancy, and if it was
> slightly over the odds, it was worth the gamble on something that might
> well not happen again in our lifetimes.<BR>
> <BR>
> Cheers<BR>
> <BR>
> Andrew<BR>
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