Last weekend, rescuers at two wetlands found 46 more dead birds. That’s 37 game species, shot and left behind, and nine protected species.This includes a large cygnet, the tenth swan found this season on patrols of only 3-4 wetlands. A photo album can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150258879633125.373312.638123124&l=834304ae6f Thank goodness we’re only two weekends away from the end of the season.For those interested, this was a media event (that no media attended) outside the HQ of the DSE in East Melbourne. We photograph and count the birds and cross-check them with a wildlife officer.Then the wildlife officer takes all the birds away for examination at Atwood.They’re tested for avian influenza, among other things. Duck rescuers run a metal detector over all birds. Here are the species totals: 24 Hardhead7 Pacific Black Duck4 Grey Teal1 Wood Duck1 Blue-winged Shoveler Protected species: 2 Dusky Moorhen4 Eurasian Coot1 Great Crested Grebe1 Galah1 large cygnet Even though it’s his job to expedite hunting for duck shooters, the wildlife officer had some opinions he shared. ‘What was acceptable 20 years ago is no longer (OK)’.’I’m coming around to your way of thinking’ (ie against shooting).(Looking at a Hardhead): ‘They’re beautiful birds. It’s a waste on two fronts. Killing it in the first place and then leaving it.”I struggle with the idea of shooting what you won’t eat.’ ===============================
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 ===============================