Hi All,
On Friday evening there was a group of about six WTNTs over
Lady Macquaries's Chair near the Sydney Botanic Gardens, possibly attracted
by Carmen, the Opera on the Harbour, more likely the low storm clouds.
Fruit bats as well.
A pair of Whistling Kites circling over Avoca lagoon on
Sunday morning, as well as three White-faced Herons over the Southern end of
the beach, looking lost, presumably displaced by homo sap canoeists,
fishermen or swimmers.
Re Night Parrot;
"Friar Bird" ,I did not
suggest that John Young discovered the WA population.
Recently John has been
reported as finding another population in Gonaway NP in Queensland.
My perspective on John
Young's effort is affected by spending many weeks and many days over many
years and many Ks, sometimes in dedicated groups, searching at and around
reported sites in semi-desert Australia, from Rex Ellis' in SA through
Boulia and Diamantina NP and all around, Newhaven where a pair were, once,
reliably reported, Wolf Crater, the Pilbara, where some
environmentalists doing an eco study reported seeing them on a dam in one of
Gina's mining areas, and around Murchison where a bat bander netted one
over a dam in the 1960s. Also looking incidentally in many possible places
throughout Qld, NT and WA, even spending evenings and nights watching over
dams for the Night Parrot.
Not to mention many others
including professional bird guides who have spent even more time searching.
The WA group are certainly to
be congratulated, the finding is wonderful and the in-flight photo
brilliant, but, having done a birding trip with George Swann, who was very
thorough, (Hi George) it is inconceivable that they had not also thoroughly
researched the likely areas and considered John's descriptions of likely
habitats. Even if they had not downloaded its call. Their finding in
no way detracts from John Young's first confirmed rediscovery and I salute
his perseverance and bushcraft, and I am not detracting from their find.
It is interesting that a call
they did hear differed from the one on the publicised tape that the group
listened to later as I understand it.
The "commercialisation" of the
Night Parrot for well heeled twitchers may have its merits in Conservation
terms if that in fact is where the money goes. My desire to donate to some
conservation organisations has been tempered by the quoted 25% or more of
donated money to "Administration", which is probably reasonable, and I
presume confirmed in their published Accounts ??
Otherwise, as more populations
are discovered, possibly not publicly disclosed if bankrupting fines are in
the offing, undoubtedly twitching groups will be led to them.
What are the attitudes toward
captive breeding.
What practical efforts ARE
being made to protect known populations.
Are the Traditional Owners
allowed access to the quarantined areas in Queensland.
Cheers
Michael
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