G’day
The weekend news regarding Orange-bellied Parrots is not encouraging - none of
the ten OBPs that had arrived at Melaleuca were female - see
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/has-the-orangebellied-parrot-lurched-closer-towards-extinction-20171014-gz0yhh.html
If the species doesn’t “turn the corner” it is quite possible that it won’t be
too many years before OBPs are extinct in the wild and the only surviving
populations will be captive bred.
If you haven’t seen OBPs in the wild or been to Melaleuca, this summer may be
one of the last you can see them there. I had the fortune to spend some time
there in December last year following a bushwalk to South West Cape. It was
very enjoyable watching the OBPs coming in to a feeder through the picture
window of the Deny King Museum - you can look them in the eye through the scope
set up for people recording the identifying bands on their legs. If you have
the chance to spend a bit of time there, the bushwalking huts are quite cosy
and Par Avion runs plenty of flights in summer. If you are up to doing an
overnight walk, Hidden Bay is well worth a visit - with a good chance of seeing
Ground Parrots, Hooded Plovers, Southern Emu Wrens and Olive Whistlers etc.
Anyhow, I have attached an example of the sort of photo you can easily get [via
the scope] of an OBP on the most photographed stick in Australia.
Regards, Laurie.
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