Habitat for coastal wetland birds

New South Wales coastal highways from the Mid North Coast to the Northern Rivers have giant traffic roundabouts. Most have a lot of masked lapwings and some white-faced herons huddled in the middle looking lost. Some are hanging out in the road drains that used to be small creeks. 

Image: Highway roundabouts for birds, Promted by Bellingen Area and ChatGPT 

Do we want to live under a cloud of drones?

Drone can now deliver hot coffee and fast food from shopping centres to the suburbs. An ‘instant now culture’ makes it possible that the highly processed soggy food is directly delivered to your couch. Immediate access to everything, every commodity on-demand can be gratified by drone delivery. Soon tens of thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles will fill the sky over Australia.

The humming noise of the flying machines will hardy be noticed among the cacophony of noise and vibrations from vehicles, mowers, slashers and chainsaws. One is already well accustomed to ubiquitous fossil fuel generated noise pollution.

New information and communication technologies are not perceived as spying machines posing a significant privacy issue.

Should a neighbour object to the disruptive and irritating noise, security risks and privacy invasion then the first line of defence is always the Australian mantra:

“No-one has ever complained about it” and

“Have you spoken to your council?” 

Thereafter one encounters an array of Kafkaesque institutional labyrinths where no instance/ agency is responsible for anything. For complainants it is “a morass of laws and buck-passing.” (source)

The decisions to populate the sky with more machines have already been made. The precautionary principle is foreign lingo while the airspace over cities and suburbia is already humming with drones. The slow creep of the ‘outdoor lab’ is gradually and almost imperceptibly becoming a monster interchange in the sky with all the associated impacts.

”The Department of Infrastructure, which has taken control of drone regulation, wants to see expansion in the sector. A political discussion about the desirability of drone delivery services has yet to take place.” (source)

95% of Earth's land surface displays some form of human impact, much of it is human infrastructure. The ocean habitats and many rivers have been turned into shipping and boating highways. Now it is time for the 'highway in the skies’. A full-service logistics will fill the blue sky with heavy aerial traffic.

“The companies involved in drone delivery pilots want the sky for themselves.." The vision is to architect highway infrastructure across our skyscape.” (source)
 

Time to fast track a sky-highway for business. There is no time to waste for the assessment of emerging technologies.

 A disenfranchised public can only look up to the congested, automated and privatised sky highway. "The regulation is moving in a way that effectively gets rid of opportunities for people to have a political say.” (source)

Defaunation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems seems of no concern to humanity. Wildlife that call the sky and the atmosphere their home are classified as ‘obstacles’ to human progress.

Drones are seen as a panacea for data collection on wildlife such as koalas. They can buzz through their canopy 24/7. Human crowds can also be controlled in real-time. (source) Ultra-high-resolution overhead surveillance of citizens is already in operation. (source)

As a means of destruction unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used for asymmetric warfare in hit-and-run ambushes in the battlefield of the numerous war zones. In the Ukraine combat zones birds now incorporate nests from fiber optic cable from FPV kamikaze drones.

The sky's the limit.

 

Image: Curated by Bellingen Area Blog, J. M. W. Turner and ChatGPT

Drone deliveries aren't attracting many complaints but experts say that's not a sign of public endorsement. ABC

Do we want to live under a cloud of drones? The Conversation

The Urunga Boardwalk Environment

Urunga is on the mid-north coast of NSW. The 'long place' of the Gumbaynggirr people is where the Kalang River, the Bellinger River, the Urunga lagoon and the Pacific ocean meet. A junction of mangrove forest, floodplain forests and coastal suburbia. The Urunga Boardwalk structure allows human access through these environments. A domesticated coast line that served to ship the extracted timber. Today rapid urbanisation and mobile sprawl (tourism) are the life blood.

The area is part of the Bellinger Heads State Park NSW. To the South, Picket Hill (Nunguu Miirlal) is a very distinctive landmark, the Great Dividing Range frames the North.



The walk starts at Urunga town where visitor facilities, their cars and dogs mingle with endangered birds.  Brahminy Kites are hunting and the endangered Beach Stone Curlews ( Esacus magnirostris) and Curlew sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) make a nervous appearance.



The narrow wooden structure of the boardwalk is crowded with a procession of recreational anglers and their plastic gear. Pet lovers are encouraged to bring their dogs into this shorebird habitat. Even when the walk is not congested, various birds flee at the sight of even a quiet human presence. One is aware of the impact.

 
The mangrove ground is alive with marine life. The estuary stingray (Dasyatis fluviorum) inhabits shallow, mangrove-lined tidal rivers and estuaries. The endemic and "once-abundant estuary stingray has declined substantially across its range." (source) Living in shallow tidal and mangrove habitats, they are often killed by recreational anglers and shellfish farmers. Sometimes they are just mutilated. Habitat degradation and loss due to foreshore development are just a few of the anthropogenic impacts.



Links: 

Destined to decline? Intrinsic susceptibility of the threatened estuary stingray to anthropogenic impacts, CSIRO

National Parks warn of growing threats to endangered shorebirds on NSW North Coast, abc 27.10.2016

'Fantasy documents': recovery plans failing Australia's endangered species, Guardian 20.02.2018

Threatened Species, NSW gov au

Dasyatis and extinction risks, IUCN, pdf

Updates:

Dredging Urunga lagoon in times of sea level rise. Marine life (pdf) will be delighted by fossil fuel dredging. 'A win for a swim - finally', Bellingen Courier, 27.02.2018

Images:
Photos, Urunga public mural

Healthy Riverbanks Booklet: The Turtle, The Cattle and The Indian Myna

After the mass kill event in 2015 of the critically endangered Bellinger River Snapping Turtle, various authorities have now resorted to making information and activities available to property owners and other stakeholders in the catchment area.

The Bellinger River System Landholder Booklet (pdf) is also available in the dead tree version.

It seems that the introduced Indian Myna (pdf) is symbiotic with the cattle business and roads as they spread along with the precooked ungulates standing mostly without shade in severe heatwave conditions.

Meanwhile the drought continues...

Little Terns or Pigs Will Fly and Sawtell Dogs will be on a Leash

Where the coastal town of Sawtell meets the National Park, Little Terns have their breeding grounds. The endangered Little Terns (Sterna albifrons subsp sinensis) have been nesting in this area for a log time. They like to make beaches, sand spits and sand islands near rivers, creeks and coastal lakes and mouths of estuaries their homes. Every spring and summer the migratory seabirds have been raising their families along the Australian coastline.

“Little Tern nests are a simple scrape in the ground, sometimes lined with feathers and eggshells. The highly exposed hatchlings are very susceptible to predators from both introduced and native species, as well as disturbance from human activities.” (source)



"Nesting sites are usually located where humans swim, walk, exercise dogs, picnic and drive off-road vehicles. The mere presence of people on the beach may cause these terns to desert their eggs and eventually leave the colony altogether" (source)

Unchecked coastal urbanisation spreads 'the package' (McMansions, roads, multiple pets and lawns) into all 'scenic' coastal places. The sprawling want-to-be Sydney culture rejects the specificity of the local environment.

Not long ago there were 70 separate breeding colonies in NSW, but today there are only 15 sites left in NSW. (source) Roaming dogs and their lawless pet owners are one of the main threats to the continuing existence of the bird.

"It had also been disappointing to see the number of people taking dogs into the little tern breeding compound on Bongil Spit, south of Sawtell Headland….The locations where the little terns are nesting are clearly signposted and dogs are prohibited from entering national parks at all times due to the threat they pose to native animals...The law allowed for an immediate fine of $1500 and people found with dogs within the national park could expect an on-the-spot fine of $300." (source)

The forest of signs, the absence of enforcement and the paltry fine do not repel the enthusiasts of introduced canines from making the wildlife refuge a dog loo.

Rangers even have to expect aggressive responses from dog-walkers if they point out the law to pet owners. 'Dogs Breakfast' and appeals to the local population are there to 'raise awareness' of residents that have already 'voted with their feet' for pets. For birdwatchers or bushwalkers it seems outright dangerous to approach people that are wilfully breaking the law.

Images:
Sawtell, aerial photo
Little Terns, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Hawksbill turtle, Bonville Headland mural, Sawtell

Update:
A car drove through a seabird community, leaving injured and dead birds lying on the sand.  A "crested terns had to be euthanised by the vet because its wing had been smashed to pieces" Cars on Airforce Beach at Evans Head. 08022017

The Control of Fire by Birds

Early humans are seen as inventors of fire technology. Now birds of prey such as the the Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) and the Black Kite (Milvus migrans) join the list of those propagating fires deliberately in the Australian savanna woodlands.

Many birds benefit from anthropogenic fires or lightning fires, but narratives of ornithogenic fires have for a long time survived in legends and ceremony in many places around the world.

"Fire provides the opportunity for pyrophilic behaviour by some birds. Brown Falcons, Falco berigora, perch at the fire-front waiting for grasshoppers, frogs, snakes, lizards and small mammals.

Local Aboriginal people believe that Black Kites set fires by carrying burning sticks to new locations and drop them into dry grass on unburnt grounds...I have seen a hawk pick up a smouldering stick in its claws and drop it in a fresh patch of dry grass half a mile away, then wait with its mates for the mad exodus of scorched and frightened rodents and reptiles.

“When that area was burnt out the process was repeated elsewhere. We call these fires Jarulan.”

There is an extensive body of recorded material – some over 100 years old – of Aboriginal myths and legends relating to birds and fire from across Australia." (Source)

 
Sources:
Ornithogenic Fire: Raptors as Propagators of Fire in the Australian Savanna, Bob Gosford, Crikey
Ethnoornithology focuses on the intersection of birds & human cultural diversity.


Image:
Kalila and Dimna, The Fables of Bidpai,  The owls are burned to death by the crows. Syrian unknown master, 1310.
- The animal fables Panchatantra were originally composed in Sanskrit around the 3rd century BCE
- Ramsay Wood believes that these fables provide one of the earliest secular examples of what Lawrence Lessig calls Remix Culture.

The acoustic ecology of native bird extinction and the sound of “cock-a-doodle-doo”

For eons the Laughing Kookaburra has been announcing the break of dawn for eastern Australia. The loud 'koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa' is often heard in a chorus. The bird is one of the larger members of the kingfisher family and lives in one place for most of its life. It also mates for life.

The more settlers convert bio-diverse landscapes into mono-culture and populate it with alien species, the ecology changes into an artifact. The soundscape too takes on the characteristic of a noise composition.

Now the highest-ranking rooster has priority to announce the break of dawn. The (overseas) circadian clock of the domesticated fowl often is set off long before dawn. They do not sing in a chorus but in a strict hierarchical pattern. The sound of “cock-a-doodle-doo” echos over the dark valleys. Barking dogs and cars complete the early morning cacophony.

Non-native species and fossil fuel combustion machines constitute the ambient soundscape that announces the break of dawn of more industrial activity. The bird chorus of kookaburras and other common native birds fades as the environmental noise increases.

Deforestation and land clearing robs Kookaburras (and other Australian wildlife) of their homes which they need for nesting, roosting and perching to catch snakes and mice. The generously splashed pesticides poison the insects that the birds eat.



Kookaburra and magpie among Australian birds in decline, says report , Guardian 15.07.2015

Magpies, kookaburras and willie wagtails among common Australian birds 'starting to disappear', report suggests, abc, 15.07.2015

The highest-ranking rooster has priority to announce the break of dawn, Tsuyoshi Shimmura, Shosei Ohashi, and Takashi Yoshimura, July 23, 2015 in Scientific Reports, 5, Article number: 11683. DOI: 10.1038/srep11683

http://birdlife.org.au/state-of-birds/

Wedge-tailed Eagle vs rooster

Wedge-tailed eagle rescued from a chicken coop. WIRES
 

Images
Graffiti EU

Coffs Harbour: A place for whales and birds?

Coffs Harbour has been put on the map for watching whales and birds. Between June and November migrating humpback whales can be watched. The Solitary Islands Marine Park provides a refuge for them and many other marine species.

Also in August thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters travel thousands of kilometres each year to return to the same burrows on Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve. It is the only easily-accessible place in NSW where the migratory wedge-tailed shearwaters nest.

Just when these migratory species dwell in the region, fossil fuel enthusiasts and the associated industries stage a 1000-horsepower speed boats race in the privatised 'natural amphitheatre' of Coffs Harbour. Rockets 'get airborne' and therefore are not supposed to shred any marine mammals. Sea creatures will simply get replaced by 'high horsepower marine monsters'. Local businesses are waving shopping bags and put up dysfunctional 'fairy lights' in trees to 'draw the crowds' to a run-of-the-mill town.

In a 100 % automobile dependent society with few footpaths and hardly any bike paths petrol runs in the veins of the population. Daily and recreational racing kill the dullness of a marginal existence. 'Boys with toys' are good consumers. They race the atmosphere-polluting machines on the Pacific Ocean and in the scenic hinterland of Coffs Harbour.

Having just thrown billions at the Pacific Highway one could have at least used this purpose-built road which is hacking its way through numerous wildlife habitats as a human-made race course 'amphitheatre'. Just privatise the space and let the benefiting industries pay for the usage. At the moment billboards along the highway appeal to motorists to reduce speed while the next billboards advertise car racing.

Staging such polluting and noisy events discourages visitors to come to the area for its natural aspects. Locals are deprived of a livable place and might move on or avoid shops sponsoring combustion festivals. It is the rapid conversion of a 'special place' to a non-place.

But in the country one just tolerates things ...

See also
Celebrating Fossil Fuel Culture on Forest Roads

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

Bats and birds increase crop yield in tropical agroforestry landscapes

"Ecology Letters": Bats and birds increase crop yield in tropical agroforestry landscapes. Abstract
 
"We found that bat and bird exclusion increased insect herbivore abundance, despite the concurrent release of mesopredators such as ants and spiders, and negatively affected fruit development, with final crop yield... Our results highlight the tremendous economic impact of common insectivorous birds and bats, which need to become an essential part of sustainable landscape management."


Insect-munching bats spare the chemicals. abc 240305

"Farmers can reduce the need to spray their crops with insecticide by encouraging insect-eating bats to roost in old hollow trees in their properties...There are about 90 species of bats in Australia, three quarters of which subsist solely on insects and spiders...The smallest species of bat in south-eastern Australia is the little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus), weighing in at just four grams. It gorges itself on mosquitos, while the southern free tailed bat (Mormopterus) feasts on the destructive Rutherglen, or seed bug ( Nysius vinitor)."

"Many farmers are unaware of the benefits of insect-eating bats... and often don't even know they have the tiny nocturnal mammals on their properties. Dr Lindy Lumsden "is encouraging them to preserve old dead trees on their properties so that bats can roost and breed in their hollow trunks...People often see a dead tree as just being good for firewood or a bit of an eyesore and cut them down...The main thing that farmers can do is maintain the remnant vegetation on their properties so the bats can breed themselves up....It takes around 80 to 100 years for tree hollows to develop, so farmers need to revegetate to ensure the trees that fall down and die, leaving bats homeless, are replaced in years to come."

Images:
Pisanello, Detail of Madonna of the Quail, 1420
Kaki Persimmon fruit, (Diospyros kaki)

Updates:
Native birds provide crop benefits, but Australian farmers treat them as a pest, abc 022014 

"Effects of land use on bird populations and pest control services on coffee farms” Railsback, S. F. and M. D. Johnson. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1320957111.  042014

Downturn in shade-grown coffee putting forests, wildlife, people at risk, mongabay, 07.2014

Shade coffee is for the birds 05022015

 Why shade-grown coffee is good for birds and farmers, The Conversation 26.02.2015

And a Pheasant Coucal crossed the road slowly...

Driving along Hydes Creek Road a Pheasant Coucal walked across the wide road very, very slowly, keeping a good eye on the car. Then a quick dash under the barbed wire fence and the dense sedges. The Centropus phasianinus is a large 'pheasant-like', ground-dwelling cuckoo. Audio , AV cuckoos.

Image:
Alfred Brehm,  Brehm's Life of Animals (Possibly one of the 9,000 dead birds collected?)

Hungry Head Beach Going to the Dogs

Cars shoot through Hungry Head Road, killing wildlife to get to the beach or lookout quickly.

Coastal sprawl pushes into the endemic bush sprouting lawns and exotic flora, fauna and packs of dogs.

At the beach off leash dogs run riot, most pet owners are entertaining 2-3 often large dogs. The dogs urinate and defecate as they go along the beach. Large packs of dogs roam the dunes for any possible Australian wildlife surviving there. Sunseekers do not seem to mind baking in the drenched sand.

Severe erosion, 2- 3 m high the sand has washed away. Very large wildlife supporting banksias collapse onto the beach. Black Cockatoos feed in the last remaining tall trees.
The Surf Life Saving Australia building seems to be melting into the beach. A few rocks thrown at the supporting stumps might not halt the sea level rise.  Collapsed stairs will soon provide easy access for motorists and their dogs again.


At all points of entry are huge signs that dogs are not allowed in this delicate area. The pet owners arriving via fossil fuel power to empty their dogs where others swim or surf must be either illiterate or lawless.

Enforcement does not seem to go further than the signs as with each year the number of exotic canines relieving themselves seems to double.

Gone are the days of Bluetounge lizards racing over the beach sand, sea shore birds resting or even nesting. Biodiversity is sacrificed to a monoculture of 'man and his best friend' from suburbia.

There is always a slight unrelaxed feeling walking along the beach as it is really a highway. Fast and powerful SUVs fly in all directions endangering the life of walkers, beach users and wildlife.

Update:
Wild dog pack ‘hunted’ down grandmother at Casuarina beach, NSW 24032015

See
Valla Nature Reserve and Urbanisation