Quite frightening, but certainly facts we should all be aware of in the more
detail you have given.
> On 20 May 2020, at 6:31 AM, rob morris <> wrote:
>
> A couple of years ago I did some work for a legal related research defending
> a strawberry grower.
>
> The strawberry farm was upstream from a wetland where all the fish and most
> the birds had suddenly died. The owner was upset and had call the council.
>
> The local council tested the water and found 7 pesticides over allowable
> environmental limits.
>
> I sampled water across the site and the lab results confirmed the local
> councils results - a very close match. One organophosphate you can use in
> Auz, (banned in Europe and the USA) was over 1000x the allowable
> environmental level). We also analysed the spraying records.
>
> The results didn’t help defend the accused and we were asked not to send in
> the report.
>
> What amazed me though was in a strawberry growing season the crop had over
> 250 chemicals sprayed on to them. About 1/2 were chemical fertilisers etc and
> the other 1/2 were fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, general pesticides.
>
> So when you buy those little punnets of strawberries on the cheap in Coles
> and Woolies etc. be aware of the process to get them to you. It would be
> similar for a lot of fruit and veg I’m told!
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On 19 May 2020, at 12:06, Penny Brockman <> wrote:
>>
>> Our rural town of Gloucester has ever since I moved here sprayed in town and
>> along streets to kill weeds leaving behind a depressing dead mess that
>> eventually is blown away or squashed into dust by vehicles. At the same time
>> we still have a very healthy population of House Sparrows. There are 4 sites
>> known to me where they breed one close to my house. So far so good.
>>
>> However no doubt combined with herbicide and insecticide spraying , the
>> disastrous effects of the fires which brought heavy smoke to the area
>> December January has resulted in a serious decline here in small
>> insectivorous woodland birds. I no longer count more than a couple of E
>> Spinebills in the garden, Red/browed Finches, whistlers, thornbills, small
>> honeyeaters were also seriously reduced in numbers and with winter coming
>> on, we won’t see any change until spring. Along the river banks where native
>> vegetation remains things are a bit better. These areas were refuges even
>> when water levels were reduced to a few puddles of revolting green gunge.
>>
>> Many birds took refuge at the coast in unburnt areas. They didn’t return
>> when the rains came mid January.
>>
>> The other notable effect of the extreme heat was the absence of flies-
>> changed abruptly after the rains when they erupted. I’m told due partly to
>> absence of dung beetles.
>>
>> --------------------
>> Penny Brockman
>>
>>> On Tue, 19 May 2020, at 4:07 AM, Michael Hunter wrote:
>>>
>>> After an ornithologically sterile month traversing California, a
>>> creeping realisation that Mulgoa Valley, once seething with small birds
>>> now has far fewer, ditto Avoca on the NSW Central Coast, the penny
>>> dropped.
>>>
>>> INSECTICIDES. are wiping out the base of the food chain in built
>>> up and semi rural areas.
>>>
>>> Not just for small birds, but all the way up to raptors like
>>> Black shouldered Kites and falcons which include insects directly, and
>>> indirectly via small reptiles which are largely insectivorous.
>>> Honeyeaters eat insects in flowers as well as their nectar.
>>>
>>> A very obvious example has been the demise of House Sparrows
>>> worldwide, although granivorous their young need animal protein, in the
>>> form of insects, to develop. Those insects have largely gone due to
>>> insecticides, House Sparrow sightings are now rare. My last single
>>> sighting was in Bunnings Gosford Nursery. ? Significance ?
>>>
>>> Most Reptiles, most small Mammals, most Amphibians and most
>>> Fish need insects.
>>>
>>> How many Councils spray entire suburbs for Flies and
>>> Mosquitos, unwittingly killing thousands of birds and reptiles.
>>>
>>> A giant problem. Any suggestions re a longterm solution.?
>>>
>>> "Bring Back the Birds. Ban inorganic and long lasting Insecticides "
>>>
>>> Hoping that this starts a longterm campaigns
>>>
>>> Much more to come.
>>>
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
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