Month: June 2011

MMM I’m thinking – did we just read another morsel of propaganda from a “Climate Change Septic”?

Woops – misspelled that. Should have read “Climate Change Denier”.

Mark Stanley Melbourne +61 439 025 774

Message: 16 Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:24:47 +1000 From: Ian May To: “‘birding-aus@vicnet.net.au'” Subject: [Birding-Aus] Climate Change is real and happening. (off topic) Message-ID: <4E0BD05F.7040605@ozemail.com.au> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

g’Day All

Traveled from Tasmania via the ferry and drove across to Price SA from Melbourne yesterday. This was our 20th return trip in 7 years and usually the heavy vehicle traffic makes it a tiresome journey but this time, activity was so quiet we could have birded on the freeway.

On board the ferry I thought we must have picked the wrong sailing day. If I yelled “Hello” the reply would have been my echo coming back. Departing Melbourne at morning peak hour, 0700 yesterday traveling west across the Westgate bridge, it was as though we had gone back in time, perhaps easter Sunday, hardly anyone on the bridge? Then to Adelaide via the Western Highway. No tail gaiters, hardly any trucks and not many cars. Most of the journey we had kilometers of empty highway in front and behind us, so often I thought there must have been a road block holding back the traffic.

It was like that in the early 90’s during the recession we had to have. There were hardly any cars on the road and all of a sudden again it is like that now. Although the lower road activity is pleasant and probably helps lower the road toll, one person I spoke to at Kaniva said the sudden drop in activity is more evidence of “climate change”. “MMM” thought I??? Did we just meet another “Climate Change expert”?

Regards

Ian May St Helens, Tasmania currently at Price SA 0428337956

Birds Australia WA is holding a weekend of “Advanced Workshops” on the weekend of July 30/31 at the WA Ecology Centre near the BAWA Office. Both days are 9am (registration at 08:45) to 12:30 for a minimal charge of $12 per day (payable on the day). We prefer if you register by contacting the BAWA office by email mail@birdswa.com.au or phone 08 9389 7749 but you can turn up on the day. There is no limit, but it would be nice to know numbers to cater for morning tea, seating, etc.

The Saturday is for the identification of waders (presented by me). Sunday is about West Australian Robins, Cuckoos, Babblers and Treecreepers (presented by Brice Wells, Rod Smith and myself).

Anyway, the main point of this email is to request photos of mixed wader flocks. We have some we can use from the BAWA digital image library and the BA Shorebirds 2020 project, but a few more would be useful. Please email me the photos (not too large please – say a max of 2MB). They will be much appreciated and you will be acknowledged in the presentation and they will not be used for purposes other than education.

Thanks

_________________________________________________________________ Frank O’Connor Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email : foconnor@iinet.net.au

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I believe bats mate near the end of summer when the males are in good condition from the available food resources. As many species hibernate, the male would be in very poor condition to produce strong viable sperm in early spring.

Stuart Fairbairn.

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In 1988 I saw a name on a list of the birds of Cobar and looked the person up in the phonebook and rang him and asked him to show me the Chestnut-breasted Quailthrush. He had a dog with him and was able to show me nests of this bird and several other species. Later that year another birdwatcher and I were going to Stockton to see an Asiatic Dowitcher and in the car he was telling me of recent arrests the NPWS had made of egg collectors. This person was one of the worst apparently. There was some discussion months ago on birding-as about the skills of top egg collectors. They were in a level far above the everyday twitcher IMHO. I saw 2 Chestnut-breasted Quailthrush with him 6-5-88. I saw 6 with friends on 6-6-92. I saw 1 male & 2 females on 14-6-93 and 1 yesterday. Is June the best time to see this bird? I don’t see Cobar NSW mentioned in the latest T&T. There are lots of good birds in the district. Worth checking out. Trevor from the iPhone

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I know there are a lot of knowledgeable people that read these emails.

The question is: From  the time of fertilisation how may days is it till the egg is laid? If another egg is laid a few days later is it fertilised on another occasion?

The question is about the White-bellied Sea-Eagle but I am sure there is no specific info on them but any info on birds of the same size would be of interest.

Thanks Geoff Hutchinson ===============================

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g’Day All

Traveled from Tasmania via the ferry and drove across to Price SA from Melbourne yesterday. This was our 20th return trip in 7 years and usually the heavy vehicle traffic makes it a tiresome journey but this time, activity was so quiet we could have birded on the freeway.

On board the ferry I thought we must have picked the wrong sailing day. If I yelled “Hello” the reply would have been my echo coming back. Departing Melbourne at morning peak hour, 0700 yesterday traveling west across the Westgate bridge, it was as though we had gone back in time, perhaps easter Sunday, hardly anyone on the bridge? Then to Adelaide via the Western Highway. No tail gaiters, hardly any trucks and not many cars. Most of the journey we had kilometers of empty highway in front and behind us, so often I thought there must have been a road block holding back the traffic.

It was like that in the early 90’s during the recession we had to have. There were hardly any cars on the road and all of a sudden again it is like that now. Although the lower road activity is pleasant and probably helps lower the road toll, one person I spoke to at Kaniva said the sudden drop in activity is more evidence of “climate change”. “MMM” thought I??? Did we just meet another “Climate Change expert”?

Regards

Ian May St Helens, Tasmania currently at Price SA 0428337956 ===============================

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For those who are interested, there is a SGP at Lorne. It’s being fed fish around the pier. Wildlife carers are on there way and talking to Parks about taking it into care. At present, it doesn’t appear the bird is distressed. It’s taking food but it’s wary of people.

Regards,

Simo.

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Simon Mustoe Tel: +61 (0) 405220830 | Skype simonmustoe | Email simonmustoe@ecology-solutions.com.au

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Like!

Chris Charles has clearly got it wrong about the “ONE thing NSW has over Vic???” – I had never heard of A. portuensis before and that is a very seriously rare plant. I wonder what other associated plants have gone for ever.

As to the RWBs, I wonder why they seem to have disappeared from Melbourne.

In my area Roy Wheeler recorded the species in the 1940s and they were around, particularly at one location around George St, Sandringham in the 1990s up to 1996 (including a nest).

I am aware of other Melbourne records from 2002 and 2010 of single birds in St Kilda and Ferntree Gully.

However, it is still kept as an aviary species (less popular than in the past?) so that might account for the decline in observations. Or is there an ecological reason? I remember a suggestion that with climate change the population would grow.

Michael Norris Bayside, Melbourne

Annie and I saw a male Chestnut-breasted Quailthrush today in the same area I had seen it many years ago. Go north for 10 minutes along the Louth road past the CSI mine on your right. Soon on the left there is a turn in to a vegetation tip. We saw 6 Spotted Bowerbirds here. Go out of here an take the next dirt road which forms the northern boundary of this tip. Travel to the top of the hill (about 500metres) and we saw the bird walking under the Mulga trees on the north side of the road. If you use David Stewart’s excellent recordings on the Morcombe iPhone App the thin whistle is the sound the bird repeated. Trevor from the iPhone http://www.pbase.com/trevor_quested/ ===============================

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There is one spot left for an 18-day birding tour of the Indonesian islands of Timor, Flores, Sumba and Komodo next February. By working with local operators, we have been able to negotiate a cost well below what is charged by the main birding organisations. Let me know if you are interested please.

Greg Roberts

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