YELLOW THROAT the Newsletter of Birdlife Tasmania: a Branch of Birdlife Australia Number 107, Spring 2019 General Meeting Thursday, 12 September, 7.30 Pm
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YELLOW THROAT The newsletter of BirdLife Tasmania: a branch of BirdLife Australia Number 107, Spring 2019 General Meeting Thursday, 12 September, 7.30 pm This month’s presentation is by James Pay: Investigating the conservation requirements of the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax fleayi). James has focused his research towards the behavioural ecology of birds. After completing his undergraduate degree in zoology at Aberystwyth University, he worked as a research assistant with the Royal Society for the Protection Birds and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique investigating foraging and breeding behaviour of both endangered and common bird species throughout Europe. His work in animal behaviour has led to an interest in how ethological studies can aid in guiding the conservation management of threatened bird populations. Abstract: The overarching goal of James’ PhD research was to inform the conservation management of the endangered Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax fleayi). Prior to this study, conservation efforts had focussed on the threats of breeding habitat loss and disturbance to nesting eagles, but little is known about the habitat requirements of other life stages, or the extent of other threats that may impact survival. Using GPS tracking, James investigated the behaviour and habitat associations of 25 juvenile Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles. This data was used to develop models that predicted where different behaviours are likely to occur in the Tasmanian landscape. In addition… Using data from Birdata surveys, Warren Jones will show the differences in bird utilisation of the different forest types in the Peter Murrell Reserves. Meeting venue: Life Sciences Lecture Theatre 1, Life Sciences Building, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay. Access and parking are Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Photo by Michelle Turner. from College Road or from the parking area outside the University Centre via the pedestrian bridge over Churchill Ave. Everyone is welcome to stay for tea Spotted Pardalote at Peter Murrell. Photo by Sue Jones. and coffee afterwards. 1 Yellow Throat is now issued quarterly. Each month, BirdLife Tasmania is producing an e- bulletin, Tasmanian Branch e-news, which goes out to members and supporters. Every third month it is dedicated to distributing Yellow Throat electronically, while in other months it will contain events, short articles, news, volunteer opportunities and, of course, wonderful photographs. In this issue of Yellow Throat General Meeting Thursday, 12 September, 7.30 pm ........................................................................... 1 Black Swans – Graceful Waterfowl or Vermin? ................................................................................. 2 Revisiting the Bird and the Blade ........................................................................................................ 4 What’s happening in my patch? ........................................................................................................... 8 In the foothills of kunanyi ................................................................................................................ 8 BirdBanding NW Tasmania ................................................................................................................. 9 Pallid Cuckoos ................................................................................................................................... 10 Will this be a Shining Bronze-Cuckoo season? ................................................................................. 11 Eyes bigger than stomach? ................................................................................................................. 13 BirdLife Tasmania news and views ................................................................................................... 14 Australian Bird Environment Fund (ABEF) grant ......................................................................... 14 Draft Tasman National Park Fly Neighbourly Advice (FNA) ....................................................... 14 Listing of threatened species and communities ............................................................................. 15 Southern excursions ....................................................................................................................... 15 North-west walks and talks ............................................................................................................ 15 Twitchathon 2019 .......................................................................................................................... 15 Opportunities for involvement ....................................................................................................... 16 November BirdLife Tasmania General Meeting ........................................................................... 16 Black Swans – Graceful Waterfowl or Vermin? By Ralph Cooper Two events promoted an investigation into the slaughter of swans on farmland bordering the Tamar Key Biodiversity Area (KBA)/Conservation Area. One of our members was very concerned about a fusillade of shots which seemed to come from the eastern shore on June 7. An earlier shooting episode near the old George Town Road at Dilston had already been reported to the Wetland Centre. Duck shooting ceased along the whole of the Tamar in 1979. The Conservation Area/KBA is managed by Parks and Wildlife and extends from Launceston to the Batman Bridge. Further contact with the complainants in Dilston revealed that two neighbours had witnessed swans being shot just over the road. The details are quite graphic and were written in full because of the proximity of the main road and they thought that the police may be involved. Amazingly, although shooting is illegal within 250m of a property, there are no regulations regarding shooting by a road – even though, in this case, there is a school bus stop nearby. It should be noted, however, that the shooting was taking place parallel with the road, not towards it. A string of letters to The Examiner regarding culling was picked up by the ABC in Hobart and I was asked if Laura Beavis, from Launceston ABC, could contact me. A meeting with the local residents and the farmer failed to placate several people and a further meeting was promised after July 8. Days passed with further approaches from the ABC. No meeting seemed to be forthcoming 2 so we decided to go out and do some filming. Too bad that a meeting was called for the very next day. The delay in holding a second meeting was in a way fortuitous because the time gap revealed that 'clean kills' do not always take place. On June 21 one of our members took a photo of a swan near the Wetland Centre which had the left wing missing. She took another photo of a swan on July 30 with the right wing missing. This situation was of course brought up at the second community meeting on July 31 and the photo was tabled in Parliament by an agitated Greens member in the late afternoon of the same day. Injured Black Swan, Tamar wetlands. Photo by Helen Cunningham. A Game Management representative produced a graph which purported to show a healthy population of swans in Tasmania, but which was totally unconvincing because no reference was made to the local breeding population, nor to local movements (in 2018 there were 90 breeding pairs on the lagoons at Cape Portland. The Summer Count this year showed no breeding – no water – no swans). It has been known since the late 1970s that swans can move just as ducks move in response to drought. We can only speculate as to whether some swans in Tasmania are 'mainland swans'. No subspecies of course, so no clues as to origin. However, we do have proxies – in the 4-year surveys for the Atlas from 1998-2002 there are two records only of Pink-eared Duck. Last June there were 16 on the Tamar wetlands. Freckled Duck showed zero records in the Atlas period, but in the last 2 years, over 100 have been recorded both in the Hobart and Launceston areas. The Meeting at Dilston on July 31 aired both farm concerns as well as Birdlife issues. The farmer was made aware of the importance of reed beds near both banks of the Tamar as habitat for the endangered Australasian Bittern. Drone activity for moving swans could compromise breeding activity and this was made known when the farmer thought he might try a drone to move the swans. He had already tried crinkly silver paper, flags and gas guns to no avail. Shooting will no longer take place on the Dilston marsh, which has been a breeding area for decades. Interference with nests and eggs, which was suggested by a resident at the first meeting, will not be allowed under permit. We acknowledge that there is a problem though – the presence of 500 swans on 20 ha of high- protein grass (sown especially for breeding heifers) is entirely credible. It was established to our 3 satisfaction that the severing of swans’ wings was caused by panic collision with fence lines and not by shots. A joint investigation by Birdlife and the ABC established that there are two licences, each with a permit to take 100 birds per year, on both sides of the river. Both licencees could shoot at the same time. So far this year, in addition to the two Tamar culling permits, there are 33 current permits in undisclosed parts of Tasmania. The question of whether permits are/have been issued for more than 100 birds has not been answered. The total swan kill for the two farms bordering the KBA is 460 for the