Any camper staying in the Mill Creek Campsite will be lucky enough to be greeted early each morning by a cacophony of happy and excitable swift parrots with the characteristic high pitched clinks and budgerigar-like chirruping. In fact they go on all day as they flitter from tree to tree in small groups

The blue gums are laden with blossom and the parrots are making the most of it. Last week there were at least 20-30 birds resident at Fortescue Bay. The large trees on the shore adjacent to the boat ramp have canopies spreading to eye level. These trees, and one in particular with an unusual pink hue to the blossom, affords wonderful opportunities for close up viewing.

The blue gums are however confined to a narrow band around Fortescue Bay with few other stands within the National Park. Consequently the extensive habitats to be found through Wielangta really are important for providing the sustained nectar resource necessary for successful breeding.

Andrew North

We hope to be able to update you further soon.

• to gather much needed additional information about Wielangta’s Threatened Species
• to provide an opportunity for as many people as possible to experience this area for themselves
• to continue to pressure the State Government to act to protect the habitat of Threatened Species by keeping this important area under the spotlight.

The surveys will have a particular focus on Swift Parrots, but other flora and fauna will be surveyed as expertise allows.

Are you or any of your friends and connections interested in joining the survey team?

Anyone with specialist knowledge of Swift Parrots and other Threatened Species is particularly welcome and if you’d like to learn more about Wielangta’s Threatened Species and how to identify them, please come along.

The survey will be conducted from 10am-4pm (approx.), so you will need to bring a packed lunch, drink and come prepared for all weathers (waterproofs, walking boots, warm clothes etc). Please bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. A notebook and pen would also be useful.

We will be surveying, with legal permission from Forestry Tasmania, in the Exclusion Zone that they have created around proposed logging coupe 19D (the area that was at the centre of Bob Brown’s court case). As part of the conditions attached to being given this permit we need to lodge the names of everyone entering the Exclusion Zone with Forestry Tasmania prior to the survey. This means you won’t be able to bring along an extra person at the last moment, so please bear that in mind. Car pooling will be arranged where possible.

If you are interested in joining us please register by Wed 20th August at the absolute latest (earlier preferred!) and call 6253 5348 if you would like more information.

Best Wishes
Sharon East

Wielangta Campaign
South East (Tas) Forest Protection Group
wildwielangta at gmail dot com

http://wildwielangta.edublogs.org

‘The Wilds of Tasmania’ – the Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle movie

A movie featuring the Tasmanian Wedgetailed Eagle (one of Wielangta’s special birds!) will be screening on Tuesday 19th August, 6.30pm, at Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) as part of Science Week. ‘The Wilds of Tasmania’ follows the journey of this magnificent bird whose habitat is under threat. Entry by gold coin donation. For more info. call TMAG on 6211 4177.

“Each year the return of this colourful little parrot is one of the harbingers of spring in Tasmania. Local communities and birdwatchers anticipate the Swift Parrots return with great excitement, in the same way that the first cuckoo is eagerly anticipated in the UK every spring,” said Sharon East, keen birdwatcher and spokesperson for the South East (Tas) Forest Protection Group.

“After completing their long annual migration from as far afield as South-East Queensland, Swift Parrots return to Tasmania to breed every year. They only breed here in Tasmania, favouring forests in the coastal strip between Orford and Dover. Now numbering less than 1300 pairs the species is listed as nationally endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. An “endangered” listing under the Act means that unless action is taken immediately the species is likely to become extinct,” Ms East said.

“Much of the Swift Parrot’s favoured nesting habitat is on land managed by Forestry Tasmania that is targeted for logging and woodchipping. Birds Tasmania has estimated that 500 – 1000 ha of Swift Parrot breeding habitat is being woodchipped in Tasmania every year. An area regarded by experts as “the best known breeding habitat” for Swift Parrots is about to be logged in Wielangta Forest, south-east of Hobart. If Forestry Tasmania continues woodchipping the old forests that this beautiful but endangered bird needs for breeding then its future prospects are indeed grim,” Ms East said.

Local residents in South-East Tasmania are compiling sighting information for the Swift Parrot this year. Anyone seeing Swift Parrots is asked to contact the South East (Tas) Forest Protection Group on 6253 5348.

Photo opportunity: Andrew is available for photos/filming at the location of the first Swift Parrot sighting for this year at Mt Nelson.
Andrew Hingston, Honorary Research Associate, School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania

Further information and photos of Swift Parrots:
6253 5348
Wild Wielangta
South East (Tas) Forest Protection Group

The picnic-walk into the proposed logging coupe 19D on July 19 was a great success, and it’s hoped that those of you who came along enjoyed the day. With the Mercury reporting an attendance of around 250, and TV news coverage on all channels, it certainly got the word out that people are taking an active interest in the area, and are concerned about the threatened species that are known to be there. Let’s not forget the scandalous disregard for carbon storage that logging would represent, too.

The question remains now: What else can we do?

At this stage Forestry Tas tells us that they are still intent on logging this coupe “sometime during this financial year”. We cannot sit and do nothing and let this happen. As you know, it is not just any patch of forest, but rather an extremely high-value old-growth habitat supporting several threatened species, and is also highly symbolic because of the recent court proceedings with Bob Brown.

Some exciting news!!!

On the picnic walk, Andy North, a well respected ecologist was able to identify in the coupe not one, but TWO species of orchid, that are on the threatened species list!! The Threatened Species Unit in the Department of Primary Industries and Water and Forestry Tasmania have been notified. There is the potential for an Interim Protection Order to be invoked. Select to view more details and photos.

It is hoped that a small representative group can arrange to have a personal meeting with Premier Bartlett. Steve Whitely of Forestry Tas may also be willing to do some ‘COMMUNITY CONSULTATION’ with our campaign.

There is a mainland “Save the Swift Parrot” group that is being contacted in the hope that some pressure from NSW can be brought to bear on saving the breeding habitat here of the swifties (they only breed in Tasmania).

We have web presence!

Everyone (all ages) is encouraged to share his/her expertise and educate our community of readers/viewers, by becoming a subscriber and publishing on this blog.

We welcome the sharing of any media related to Wielangta forest and our threatened species: writing, poems, songs, links to sites we need, art work, sound files (podcasts), slideshows.

Please subscribe, sign up to an edublogs account and publish. Young people are especially encouraged to show what they know.

There is also a Facebook network/group and cause for Wild Wielangta.

Go to www.facebook.com, search for wildwielangta, sign up and invite your friends to join the group and cause.

If anyone has Premier Bartlett as his/her facebook friend, please invite him to join the wildwielangta group.

We can ALL do something, and we can only hope that it will be enough. Take a look at the number of online and offline initiatives that are being considered.

Just choose what interests you and phone Mark Agnew (62571434) or email Mel Hills (mel.hills at activ8 dot net dot au)

This is, of course, 100% volunteer effort – so it really needs people to do whatever they want to. Hopefully there is enough variety for everyone to find SOMETHING to be part of. If you have other ideas please suggest them.

Use our new email address to make contact: wildwielangta at gmail dot com

Your support and participation is much appreciated. A big thank you to all those who helped out in so many ways on the picnic day.

PS – Forestry repeatedly emphasise the importance of models and modelling to both their rationale and modus operandi. Are there any models out there who can think of something that might excite Forestry staff other than habitat destruction?