While in Mataranka recently I heard about the behaviour of some birders towards the Red Goshawk near Bitter Springs. Some had climbed the fence into private property and one, according to the proprietor of the nearby caravan park , had even climbed the tree in which the bird nested.
Several other birders (thirty or forty according to the proprietor) had camped outside their property opposite the nesting tree. That year, according to the proprietor, the birds didn’t raise any young.
Some years ago I warned birders of the ramifications of bad behaviour re entry to the Leanyer Sewage Ponds. The result was that access to the ponds was tightened considerably.
The goshawks have now shifted their nest well away from the road. If they shift it again then the bird may well be out of sight of visiting birders, and they’ll be dependent on the goodwill of the owner of that property to let them in. I think that reserve of goodwill may be wearing thin.
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow 1/7 Songlark Street, Bakewell, NT 0832 043 8650 835
PhD candidate, SCU Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia Nominated for the Condé Nast international ecotourism award, 2004 by the renowned American website, Earthfoot. Wildlife Adviser, BBC¹s Deadly 60¹
Birds of Australia’s Top End and Quiet Snake Dreaming available on amazon.com A second edition of Fauna of Australia¹s Top End used by the University of NSW as a text for 12 years is now under preparation.
‘It gave me huge insight into the lives’ of Aboriginal Australians¹, Jonathon Franzen, American author, birder, conservationist (August, 2011) on Quiet Snake Dreaming.
www.denisegoodfellow.com ( to be launched again soon).
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Comments
18 responses to “Red Goshawk harrassment”
I agree, with Simon. Scott mentioned confronting photographers who climbed the fence to reach the goshawks’ nesting tree. I’d like to hear more such stories.
Denise
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Couldn’t agree more!
As someone else mentioned – we don’t even know if the offenders were indeed birdwatchers etc at all.
Why do we need to even label them? Surely they should be referred to as perhaps ignorant or selfish individuals without having to lump them into a group at all?
Even more reason to follow Simon’s points and try to educate those we think are doing the wrong thing.
Cheers Dave
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hear hear.
Sent from my iPhone
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi Stu Warren and I visited the Red Goshawk site last winter, camping at the caravan grounds 200 meters down the road. The lady at the reception there offered us the information iummediately we asked – I guess they have an interest in preserving the bird, if only from an on-going financial angle.
I know the birds have nested at different sites over the years – last year the nest was in the grounds, in fact almost above the house, of a private property approx 100 meters off the road and in plain sight from the road – once one knew where to look. The female was in attendance over the two days we were there and the male returned on the second morning with a Rainbow Lorikeet to feed her. She appeared to be sitting on the nest most of the time, but I don’t know if breeding was successful. We watched from the road until the owner came out and invited us in – to within 50 meters of the tree – a move which had no detrimental effect on the birds, considering that when the male returned he perched up in a tree close to us and preened before sleeping off his obviously late night…completly ignboring us – or the owner’s dog who wandered out for a scratch behind the ears.
The owner was very friendly, aware of what he had on his property and related anecdotes regarding the birds hunting his chickens and perching on his shed while his (the owner, not the bird’s) family wandered around the property. The owner or his wife appeared to be on site almost continuously and definitely understood the importance of a Red Goshawk – he had worked for the Parks and Wildlife dept at some stage in the past and was quite knowledgable.
I am suprised that a number of people camped along the fence – its only a short distance from the camp grounds and is a narrow rough edge to the road, I can’t imagine anyone staying there too long. Its possible the birds had moved elsewhere, of course, and we’re talking about a different site altogether? This one just seems to have been too ‘protected’ to have offered opportunity to anyone wanting to cause harm – intentionally or otherwise…
Cheers
Colin
Here here Richard.
Each time birders pass the buck to twitchers, it allows the wider birding community to avoid having to take responsibility. There are too many armchair critics (especially on this forum) .. my question is, why doesn’t someone do something at the time? Why aren’t birders standing up to the problem when they see it – take a photo, shout at the person, shame them into appropriate behaviour. If there are 30 birders standing watching, then they are all complicit if they let it happen.
We’re very swift to attack and defame people on the forum for innocent behaviour – African gentlemen asking for assistance, philanthropic documentary film-makers to name two recent examples. We vent spleen on people openly for minor indiscretion when we’re protected by a firewall and cyberspace anonymity … but these tactics when applied to something really important for birdwatching, like the Red Goshawk disturbance issue, reveal these armchair debates to be as fruitless as they really are.
If we have a problem with the behaviour of birders, then what are we going to do about it? Let’s not sit and snipe at sector of the birding community that aren’t to blame, let’s identify the perpetrators of the problem and cajole these individuals into behaving themselves. Let’s set a standard – I’m not talking about a ‘code of ethics’ … it’s obvious what ethics are and their existence doesn’t alter the behaviour of people. How birders behave is determined by social norms and no-one wants to be subject to negative peer pressure from their chosen social group.
This is a problem that needs to be solved by birders not by BirdLife Australia, governments or the police – it’s good that it’s been raised here as a problem but unless people act when they see misdemeanours occur, no difference will ever be made. I would start by speaking out in the field … there’s enough birders in this country to start making the message stick.
Regards,
Simon.
PS – we have to be careful not to make mountains out of molehills too. As important as this nest is, the misbehaviour of a few is no reason to create a stigma around birders or twitching in general. I’m fed up of recent national press criticism of birders by spokespeople for the birding community. It doesn’t solve the problem … it just creates more division.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simon Mustoe Tel: +61 (0) 405220830 | Skype simonmustoe | Email simonmustoe@ecology-solutions.com.au
Visit BIRD-O at http://www.bird-o.com Follow BIRD-O on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/birdodotcom Like BIRD-O on Facebook? Visit http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Bird-O/117732794921095 Email BIRD-O at info@bird-o.com
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi Scott and all I’m just getting over the flu and still feeling like death warmed up, so will not respond personally to all emails on this topic.
The proprietor of the caravan park mentioned that the police had been called (I don’t know who by or how many times) over birders/photographers trespassing. However, understandably I guess, they didn’t respond.
I’m glad to see that Scott intervened when photographers jumped the fence and hope that other birders act accordingly when they see such behaviour.
As Niven points out staying in the caravan park keeps locals on side and also, I would add, interested in the birds’ welfare.
According to the proprietor there are presently young in the nest. I didn’t see any so they may still be very small.
Denise
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi all, I was at the Mataranka site in 2010 and was concerned by the behaviour of some of the birders/ photographers/ twitchers. Most were respectful and waited on the roadside for the 3pm arrival -kind of reminded me of the penguin parade. The birds did arrive and were very obliging. I confronted a couple of photographers who had jumped the fence and had positioned themselves between the female and the nest, although the birds did not appear particularly bothered i imagine this kind of attention on a daily basis could be a problem.
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi Philip,
I don’t think that the enforcement of bird protection laws is too difficult. If such laws are enacted, then someone is made responsible for their administration and enforcement. Those made responsible for administration would be in a position to Declare Known Nesting Areas as such under the relevant Act of Parliament, and these guardians of the process would place notices and markers around nesting areas. Something very similar already happens in NSW around known hooded plover and little tern nesting sites on beaches and lagoons. Currently, areas in National Parks can be protected in similar ways under powers given to Parks managements. The point of the proposed legislation is to extend such powers to privately owned or leased lands, where the wellbeing of the birds is dependent on the goodwill of owner/occupiers.
Certainly, the Mataranka situation, where there has been nesting for some years, would be relatively simple to manage. To reiterate, Denise’s information indicates to me that that there may have been a temporary problem for goshawks from humans at Mataranka. Irrespective of this, we need legislation to prevent serious damage or vandalism at such sites in the future.
Carl Weber
I haven’t been down to the Red Goshawk site very often, but I’ve only ever seen other birders there on one occasion. Those birders were walking up and down the road. It’s a pity that there may be those who choose to climb fences (or trees), either to get closer or to look further afield if they have missed the birds from the road. Many of the birders that I know of have stayed at the cabins at the site, which is good practice in keeping up relations with the property owner there. On some occasions when I stayed there the birds were nesting not far from the cabin. I’d say I was more cautious at those times than the average tourist, oblivious to the birds’ presence, may have been. However, breeding in those years appears to have been successful, so the proximity to at least some visitors was not an issue.
I’ve seen the birds nesting there in different years, at four different sites within several hundred metres of each other, with two of those sites completely beyond view of the road. It may be that the failed year was one in which one of the ‘out of the way’ sites was used, although Denise’s contact may have had direct evidence of its failure. If any Birding-Aussies have seen young there in the last few years, or of birds sitting on a nest, maybe they could let us know. We may be able to gt an idea of success rate or otherwise. In the meantime, we can only hope that with whatever tourist/birder pressure there is, that the birds continue successfully. Niven ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Richard,
You are pulling a bit of a long bow there, unless you have hard data to prove you statement. Or is this one of those “facts that everyone knows”.
Carl Clifford
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi All,
I share Denise’s concern for the wellbeing of the Mataranka red goshawks in particular, and for endangered birds in general. Her important e-mail raises a number of issues, one of which I believe needs to be vigorously pursued on a National basis. However, if we are to succeed in protecting all our rare birds, we do need to start with the perspective of a more disinterested party:
Thirty or forty birders camping outside a property near a bird’s nest is not necessarily illegal, or even unreasonable. After all, the birds themselves have chosen to nest in close proximity to a town/settlement. Most people would understand that to camp immediately under a nest tree is invasive, but camping 50 m away is perhaps not. Was their general behaviour riotous, or sober? Were these people even birders? When does a tourist become a birder? Most people will look at nesting birds with interest – and take photos, but would not regard themselves as birders. So, did they give birders a bad name, or merely give tourists a bad name? (We all know that tourists have a bad name anyway!)
Most of us in the birding community would agree that to have climbed the red goshawk nest tree is most regrettable. However, a disinterested party might reasonably ask just how bad was it? For example, were they up there long enough to be a threat to the birds, and how close did they get in a tall tree? At the time, were there chicks in the nest, or eggs, or nothing?
The possibility that eggs were taken is indisputably of serious concern. This begs the question: is it illegal to take eggs? For example, it could be argued that property owners would be entitled to take eggs, if they so desire? Certainly, property owners may climb their own tree – and even cut it down, if they so wish. (Not so in Europe, where it is an offence to interfere with a stork’s nest, irrespective of the damage done to property.) Suppose the property owners raised hens or lambs. They may wish to remove the goshawks because of the danger to their farm animals. Fortunately, there appear to be no such problems at Mataranka at this time, where the property owners are sympathetic and supportive with respect to the wellbeing of the nesting goshawks. Such may not always be the case.
“That year, the birds did not raise any young.” Is this because someone climbed the tree? Or because forty people camped across the road? Or were there other reasons? In truth, we do not know, but as committed birders, we prefer to act on the assumption (however unlikely) that the observed human activity was the cause. On the other hand, to forbid such tree climbing, and to prohibit such camping, may be regarded as unreasonable and illogical restraints by many in the broader community. One immediate solution is for the committed birders to take ownership/control of the land.
Again, consider the property owners. They would have no need to camp across the road from the nest. They may go as close to the nesting birds as they wish, as often as they wish. They may invite as many people as they wish to also enter and look. They are entitled to charge admission, if they so desire. Certainly, there are people (birders and non birders, including me, depending on price) who would be prepared to pay, as happened recently with the princess parrot.
A number of groups have a genuine and serious interest in the Mataranka nesting red goshawks, including those people who want to ensure that the species survives and prospers, the people who want to see such a rare bird, and those whose businesses have benefitted – for example, there must be hundreds of people per annum who go to, or stop at, Mataranka for the goshawks.
The National issue that emerges is that endangered bird species, such as the red goshawk, need to be fully protected by law (in every State and Territory). There are laws in existence that protect birds on public lands, but my understanding is that these laws do not extend to private lands, or even leases on public lands. I would suggest as a starting point, that the protection of endangered birds is similar to that afforded whales, whereby it is a an offence to even go close to a whale. (Someone was recently fined $2000 for riding a whale.) The laws would necessarily prevent everyone, including landowners/occupiers, from behaving in a manner that threatens endangered birds on their property. There would need to be an agreed list of endangered birds. The bird protection law that I envisage would make it an offence to climb the tree, take eggs, shoot anywhere near the birds, camp within say 200 m, or in any way seriously disturb the nesting birds. Viewing would need to be regulated – but reasonable access for viewing would be allowed. Note that, whales, who already benefit from such laws, are mostly present in thousands – I understand that there may be less than a hundred pairs of red goshawks.
Enacting new bird protection laws will presumably take a year or two, but is the sort of thing that BirdLife Australia is well placed to pursue. In the interim, BA (BLA?) could be asked to investigate the possibility that land around the Mataranka red goshawk nesting area be leased or purchased by BA, with a view to the provision of measures to protect the nesting birds.
Best wishes,
Carl Weber
30-40 in one group would be a HUGE birding tour – I’d hate to be on it. Seems more likely that it was as you say over the season.
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I wonder if it’s more likely that they mean they’ve seen this many people camping there over a season. I didn’t think they were saying that they all jumped the fence, just some of them.
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Steve, Shirley, Denise and others,
I’m struggling to make the connection with a group of 30-40 birders camped near a Red Gos nest in NT, obviously on some kind of birding tour through the NT, with twitching. It appears that every time someone disturbs a bird, they’re labelled a inconsiderate twitcher. I wonder if asked, how many people in that group would call themselves twitchers or actually ARE twitchers?
Our scientific community traps, mist nets, tags, bands, handles, takes blood samples, cannon nets, radio tags, egg collects, shoots and generally disturbs more birds in any week of the year than all Australia’s twitchers combined over the last 100years!
Mmmmmm!
Cheers Richard
Sent from my iPhone
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Climbing a tree and/or tipping out chicks ?!!
I’d say this was more likely the behaviour of an unprincipled frantic photographer or egg collector rather than a twitcher. I’ve been a twitcher for twenty two years and have NEVER witnessed or participated in anything like this. In fact had I done so the person would have been reported and called into disgrace in the birding world. In whatever low regard twitchers are held by certain quarters of the birding fraternity one must resent the implication that twitchers might do this sort of thing. I’ve heard of some twitchers indulging in a bit of trespass and justifiably being brought to account for that, but not climbing trees.
Tony ( member of the twitcher “brigade ” and proud of it)
Maybe, but when people want close photos of raptors, they seem to build a tower with a hide on top, and wait for the birds to get used to it. Surely climbing the tree would just result in the birds flying away and not coming back till you’re gone, if ever.
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Or over-zealous photographer??
John Tongue Ulverstone, Tas.
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Climbing the tree doesn’t sound like normal birder bad behaviour. That sounds more like an egg collector.
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================