How has the Night Parrot survived in south-west Queensland?
By Birding-Aus, on August 29th, 2015
I have a news story and feature published in today’s edition of The Weekend Australian which explores why the parrot has managed to hang on at the site in south-west Queensland where it is presently being studied, and looks at measures to control feral cats. Most of this material is behind the paper’s paywall; the transcript can be read in the following blog post: http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/night-parrot-news_29.html If that link doesn’t work, try this: *http://tinyurl.com/nd8wg3z * Greg Roberts http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com.au/
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Mike, The comment about the grasswrens vanishing refers to the Borrolooloo population in the NT, not the Queensland populations. Greg Sent from my iPhone
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G’day Greg & B’Aussers Thank you for sharing this article – it has some very interesting info. Hope the conservation plan works. Their comment that the Carpentarian Grasswren has vanished is however, not true. We found it is three areas, though certainly reduced; and increased fires appears to be a large part of the reason it has declined. Cheers Mike =================== Michael Tarburton tarburton.m@optusnet.com.au =================== On 29/08/2015, at 9:01 AM, Greg Roberts wrote:
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I would say that the removal of feral animals from Macquarie Island was a pretty good avian achievement. It would be good if it could be replicated in many other key nesting areas. Regards, Laurie. On 29 Aug 2015, at 7:47 pm, Charles < ccgfh@yahoo.com.au> wrote:
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What other achievements in the last 2-3 decades are there? Interested to know what people think other avian achievements (in Australia) that may compare. Cheers, Charles Hunter +61 402 907 577
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Well said, Penny. All I can add to what you have said is that, in my opinion, John Young’s finding and documentation of the Night Parrot is perhaps THE Australian avian achievement of the decade!! martin cachard. trinity beach. cairns.
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I was on a tour led by John Young in 2007, and he then told us about his plans to concentrate on a particular area in Queensland where he had heard of Night Parrots being present in the past, and where he felt he was most likely to find them. He intended to spend as much time as possible over at least 5 years out there, sitting on “jump ups” in the chilly dark (frosty out there mid year) and just listening. So I was not surprised when I read that he had succeeded. Very few people would have the dedication, knowledge, understanding of the bush and freedom to spend that much time sitting out there in the dark in the hope of hearing a Night Parrot. He is an amazing person and should get every recognition for his achievement. The fact that others are now undertaking the scientific studies is irrelevant. In my opinion he is not the person for that work, he has other things that he is more qualified to do, like find rare birds in the first place! It was the Australian avian achievement of 2014. Penny Drake-Brockman Gloucester NSW
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John has said previously that he began his major search of the area of interest in 2007 – six years before photographing the bird, although he first heard one there in 2008. These facts are in the public domain, as are any comments on Facebook or other social media made by John or anyone else. Greg Roberts Greg Roberts http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com.au/
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I believe some of those comments may have made a couple of weeks ago on a birding blog that John might have been responding to. (I haven’t seen them directly, but saw email references to them). Regards Laurie. On 29 Aug 2015, at 4:05 pm, Peter Shute < pshute@nuw.org.au> wrote:
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Thanks, Peter, You are absolutely right about re-finding something on Facebook, and yes, I am sure the comments were in there somewhere. I reckon my point is that it wasn’t as if John was “taking to social media” and posting a lot of things himself. I did not mean to imply that the comments weren’t ever there or made by him in some thread. Cheers, R. Bruce Richardson On Aug 29, 2015, at 4:05 PM, Peter Shute < pshute@nuw.org.au> wrote:
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I do recall seeing those comments of John’s, Bruce, as I replied to him about them. From memory, his comments were replies to replies, so not everyone would have opened them and seen them. I doubt I’d be able to find them again, like just about anything on Facebook. The interpretation of them is another matter, as they were a little cryptic. Peter Shute Sent from my iPad
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You might want to change the length of John Young’s Night Parrot search from 6 years as you wrote in your blog, to 15 years. I was fortunate enough to hear Mr. Young talk about the Night Parrot in Melbourne this past March and he stated that he had searched for 15 years. I actively use social media and can assure you that John is very rarely on Facebook at all. What comments he may have made on other’s posts in which he was tagged, certainly should not be called… “taking to social media to distance himself from the project.” John has not “taken” to anything. You presented several quotes from John which are taken out of context and used in your blog. I am a Facebook friend of John’s and have just searched up and down his timeline and cannot find those quotes. In my opinion, it seems that your blog is trying to distance the project from John Young, rather than visa versa. These are just my opinions. R. Bruce Richardson Torquay, VIC On Aug 29, 2015, at 9:01 AM, Greg Roberts < friarbird.roberts@gmail.com> wrote:
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