Author: patappleton

i’D BETTER ADD MY NAME THIS TIME

From: patappleton@live.com To: birding-aus@lists.vicnet.net.au Subject: RE- SEA EAGLE CATCHING SEAGULL IN MID AIR Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:27:25 +1030

When Sea Eagles snatch up swan cygnets I momentarily hate them and threaten to cancel my subscription to Sea Eagle Cam but I had no idea they’d feed on seagull. So why then, are there so few Sea Eagles and an abundance of Gulls???? ALSO:

The Black Swan Communal Nesting Site at Paynesville, (Gippsland Lakes) has its first occupants for this season with 3 nests occupied. At nest #1 both mum & dad were in the water today and I saw a white (???????) seabird swoop down and steal an egg and started eating the yellow contents in about 6 inches of water by the lake edge. Dad came by and after having a taste of the contents himself, washed the contents out of the egg shell and threw it into deeper water.

Obviously my first question is, What is the name of the white seabird that looks like a plain seagull on steroids, (about twice the size) like a dwarf Albatross ???? Also, why do black swans leave their nests to chastise harmless juvenile swans yet pay no attention to egg stealing preditors ??? Is it an experience thing? I notice the other two nests are never left unattended. PAT APPLETON LAKES ENTRANCE VIC ===============================

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When Sea Eagles snatch up swan cygnets I momentarily hate them and threaten to cancel my subscription to Sea Eagle Cam but I had no idea they’d feed on seagull. So why then, are there so few Sea Eagles and an abundance of Gulls???? ALSO:

The Black Swan Communal Nesting Site at Paynesville, (Gippsland Lakes) has its first occupants for this season with 3 nests occupied. At nest #1 both mum & dad were in the water today and I saw a white (???????) seabird swoop down and steal an egg and started eating the yellow contents in about 6 inches of water by the lake edge. Dad came by and after having a taste of the contents himself, washed the contents out of the egg shell and threw it into deeper water.

Obviously my first question is, What is the name of the white seabird that looks like a plain seagull on steroids, (about twice the size) like a dwarf Albatross ???? Also, why do black swans leave their nests to chastise harmless juvenile swans yet pay no attention to egg stealing preditors ??? Is it an experience thing? I notice the other two nests are never left unattended. ===============================

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http://http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/420794_329164593796526_217258094987177_927995_652712551_n.jpg I was watching an abandoned baby magpie when this bloke landed on my car door. What is he ???????

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Speaking of Maggies,

I spent most of a day watching an abandoned baby mag with no mum or dad showing up at all. The babe pleaded with a male feeding another older infant for some tucker but he was attacked. So after feeding him some mince I picked him up to take him to the Vet and then the wild life carers. BUT it was still New Years so the Vet was closed so the baby spent the night on my boat with me.

Giving him water via a bottle cap then later a syringe, I noticed in the air-conditioned car ride his bill was wide open and I wondered if I’d given him too much water?????

On the boat and in his shoe box nest he appeared relaxed and was acting like a baby magpie and no more wide open bill. At the crack of dawn we returned to the tree I found him under and fed him some captured flies and mince. There were 2 broods near the tree and one of the males took some meat out of my hand. But they ignored my little mate while I sat in my car for a couple of hours watching so off to the Vet we went.

I’m assuming juniors mum and dad may have been effected by the ‘Annual Avian Holocaust’ (new years eve fireworks) and why he was abandoned. But my question is : How long do you wait for mum and dad to return before you decide he’s abandoned ??? If Paynesville wasn’t the dog, cat & fox capital of Gippsland I would have left it under the tree overnight. Pat Appleton xoxoxox

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Having watched the first episode I am disappointed at how fake parts of Earth flight looks. Obviously they haven’t hired very small, very light weight cameramen to ride on the backs of flying birds so why shake the camera??

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We all tend to hate things that upset our bird friends.

After finding out that foxes on Raymond Island (Paynesville, Gippsland Lakes) are killing all but the lucky few young cygnets on the island, I want to hire the army’s SAS to hunt the mongrels.

As for outlawing rotten cats, I think nature will provide the answer in a few thousand years before any government will.

Nature has given the black swans some wisdom. To learn to hatch and stay away from Ray Island for a few months until the junior burgers are less vulnerable. I have noticed daily, along the foreshores of Paynesville and Lakes Entrance, the constant terrorising of black swan broods by dogs whose owners think its wonderful watching birds running for their lives.

BUT! This is the best training a cygnet can get. I’ve watched cygnets from a day old to fledged as they learn the signals from mum and dad about the dangers lurking. At first it’s a case of ” oh what now ” ? till it becomes instinct and a 2 month old cygnet sensing a dog approaching triggers the brood to head for the water when dull ignorant human me wonders what’s going on until moments later the dog appears.

The repetition of unleashed dogs does interfere with my swan quality- time but I see now that it does wonders for the survival learning curve for cygnets without the real threat of being eaten.

For those full-on bird terrorising dog haters among you, : I was told recently of a dog that entered the water chasing a swan brood which lured the dog out a great distance into the lake until the dog was exhausted. The dog did not return.

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