Newsletter compiled by Hayley Ricardo,
Anthea Wallhead, Vicki Silcock and Craig Webb.
Online publication by Peter Wallhead.
Editions: [Current] [Dec.
2008] [May
2008] [Feb.
2008] [2007]
The World Around Us
I was recently pleasantly surprised when asked by Craig
if I would take on the role of putting together the Raptor
Refuge newsletter. I met Craig through my current job
with the Tassie Devils and was struck by his passion and
dedication for wildlife, and so felt honoured to be approached
with this task. So, as a way of introducing myself I thought
I’d add a new column to the newsletter – a
section that delves into the non-raptor wildlife issues
in Tasmania and elsewhere – we’ll see how
it evolves.
Before taking on a job with the Tasmanian Devil project
I spent a couple of years researching a disease in frogs,
‘Chytridiomycosis’ or ‘Chytrid’.
This is a disease which has been implicated in frog population
declines and extinctions globally and was introduced into
Tasmania a couple of years ago via “banana box frogs”
(frogs carried in on fresh produce from interstate), and
has since spread across the State. Fortunately the disease
has so far only reached frog populations in the outer
edge of the World Heritage Area.
Last year I worked on a number of monitoring projects
in tropical north Queensland where the disease is widespread
and has had devastating impacts on many species of frogs,
even in remote and relatively pristine areas. In Tasmania
it is difficult to be sure of the impact it is having
due to a lack of long-term monitoring .
What you can do: The most important
thing is to limit the opportunity for the disease to spread
into new areas. The fungus that causes the disease is
spread in water and moist soil, and on the frogs and tadpoles
themselves.
So if you are a keen fresh water fisherman make sure
you dry your fishing gear out before moving to the next
location.
Similarly if you are into bush walking, make sure
that you rinse off any mud from your boots and let them
dry out before walking in another area.
If you have kids who like to collect tadpoles and
raise them, make sure that they only get released back
into the pond they came from.
Also, if you happen to come across a banana box frog
at your local grocery store – DONT let it go,
contact me and I’ll arrange to collect it and
get it to DPIW.
For further reading start with the Amphibian Disease
Website http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/ampdis.htm
and the Amphibian Research Centre http://frogs.org.au/arc/
Tasmania has only 11 frog species (two are listed as
threatened). They are beautiful creatures, thought by
some to be the canaries of the general environment and
are definitely worth looking after.
Litoria ewingii, Brown Tree Frog
Hayley Ricardo
Successful release
 What
a start to 2008 it was, with the successful release of
a young male Wedgie from the summit of Mount Wellington.
It was a nerve racking drive up the mountain with Wedgie
safely on my partners’ lap in Eaglebag (or so we
thought!) - There was almost a disaster of catastrophic
proportions at the Margate shop on the way. I stopped
to get some refreshments as the previous evening involved
New Years Eve celebrations, and foolishly left the ute
drivers’ door open as I rushed in to get us a coffee.
Unknown to me the Wedgie had somehow managed to force
open the Velcro holding him in place, but legs still firmly
bound. Rowena in her frantic efforts to restrain him ended
up with a Wedgie plastered to the inside of the windscreen.
She called out for help from passers but to no avail,
(not that anyone could have done much anyway). I came
back with coffees in hand and to my astonishment she was
yelling DARLING HELP! I quickly had Eagle back in restraints
and after wiping the sweat away we proceeded on our journey
up the mountain. We arrived slightly later than expected
to find a small throng of media and well wishers.
The Mountain was shrouded in a white mist with little
wind, but after preparing Mr Wedgie for his freedom flight,
with the fundamental wing stretches and heartfelt pep
talk, out of the way, HE WAS GONE, we all watched as he
flew beautifully in a long perpetual arc to a place called
FREEDOM.
In the next few weeks I had calls from landowners in
the Teatree area and with their local wedgie knowledge
and some simple powers of deduction we pieced together
another successful Released Wedge-tailed Eagle.
Craig Webb
Dave, the mate everyone wants and needs
 Sometimes
peoples’ kindness and generous nature come to the
fore; I find this in particular when our beautiful native
animals need our assistance. I am talking of a phone call
I received after the Mercury printed an article on the
Raptor Refuge some years ago now - when I answered the
call a man simply said that he had a cherry picker on
a ute and asked if it would be of any help. Well I almost
jumped down the phone with excitement.
I was constructing my 2nd large flight aviary
and this particular bird cage was massive in any sense
of the word. I hadn't’t quite worked out how I was
to get up the eight 11 metre poles to attach fittings
and ropes. Well it looked like fate had shone its uncanny
beam of light upon the Refuge. It was only days before
I met Dave and he was armed with a Rodeo ute with a hydraulic
cherry picker. Straight away I liked this man as his eyes
lit up when I showed him some Eagles that were being rehabilitated
in the 1st flight aviary. MY EYES LIT UP when I saw the
ute, he informed me that it could take a man to 10 metres
10.5 at a squeeze. Wow this is perfect I replied and we
promptly set about a few rope and pulley tasks high above
the ground. It was just wonderful having a platform from
which to safely work at height and have all tools at fingertips
in the cage (I had experienced what I call the shaky knee
syndrome up fairly dodgy extension ladders on the 1st
flight aviary and that was only at 6.5 metres up).
Over the next month or so Dave came on his
days off on the weekend and gave me his time, cherry picker
and his good nature to help with the final touches to
what has shown to be a winner of a massive raptor flight
aviary, and a great asset to the Refuge.
As I stated before, that was a number of years ago now
and Dave has been coming back ever since with a smile
and a cherry picker to help maintain the aviaries. He
recently came down to Kettering at the drop of a hat to
get me up high to adjust and renew ropes after those huge
winds which Tassie experienced in early April. It’s
people like Dave that give me a warm feeling; he went
out of his way to bring equipment and offer his expertise.
It is these wonderful caring people who can make a huge
difference. And what do you think he said EVERY TIME I
offered to pay? You guessed it, he simply gets his payment
knowing that he is helping a worthy cause - in this case
some of Tasmania’s threatened species. I would like
to take my hat off to you Dave and say thanks mate.
Dave Dyer operates HIRE UP and he will take you to heights
never before reached, whether it’s Council’s
Christmas lights, painting the side of a tall building,
getting Granny’s cat out of a tree, or being part
of a Wildlife Refuge, Dave Dyer from Hire Up
can get you there.
He can be contacted on mobile 0410744076, tell him where
you heard about his service and say goodbye to your extension
ladder.
Craig Webb
Can You Help?
For years now we have been dreaming of setting up a camera
inside the eagle aviaries allowing us to get footage of
these amazing birds feeding. Our ultimate goal is to set
up a webcam to generate awareness and interest of the
plight of these magnificent birds through our website.
We understand the basics but really need the input of
a person or business that fully realises what is needed
to set this technology up. For example we have questions
about the type of camera, waterproofing and, can we go
solar? We are very keen to get Eagle Cam up and running
but we will need some type of sponsorship to achieve this.
We are keen to ensure benefits for the sponsoring party
(for example there is potential for the sponsoring business
to have their logo in view of the camera) so PLEASE contact
Craig Webb 0408725869 if you think you can help. Thanks.
Who Are We? Resident and Staff Profile
I am a male Wedge-tailed eagle who arrived at the Refuge
about eight months ago. I was brought in by Wen Nermut,
a Raptor carer in the north of the State. I arrived with
some soft tissue damage to the left wing and was reported
as having been attacked by a dog. However I showed no
other problems or injuries which would have allowed a
dog to get close enough to attack me, so it’s difficult
to be sure of the true cause of my injuries.
Throughout my stay at the refuge I have had my flying
ability monitored and have been weighed on a semi regular
basis with the hope that I will eventually be released
back into the wild. Since arriving I have certainly improved
but have not yet returned to 100% and so cannot yet be
released. At the moment I can fly well into the wind in
the large aviary, but am not quite so capable when there
is no breeze. Raptors are like f1-11 jets and need to
be flight perfect and capable to out maneuver any threat
that comes their way. Being such a large bird only time
will tell if my muscles, ligaments, and tendons will mend
sufficiently and what level of fitness I will achieve.
At the refuge I am fed well on a delicious diet of road
kill and have a quality of life with a couple of mates
to chat to and the ever present "Wild Wedgies “.
So with a bit of luck it won’t be to long before
I am again soaring into the realms of Tassie’s wilderness.
MY SPOT
I wish to welcome on board all our new members for this
year and extend this warmth to those existing and committed
individuals who have continued to support the Raptor &
Wildlife Refuge since its inception.
Well as I normally start my spot I will do so again;
it’s been a busy time at the Refuge, and life in
general. Firstly I apologise for the absence of the January
Newsletter, time marched on so quickly that it became
a catch up game to achieve all that needed to be done,
so with this in view we are endeavoring to make this a
bumper edition.
Our 2nd fundraising calendar was an absolute beauty
and sold really well , not just in Tassie but throughout
Australia and even overseas. A lot of hard work goes into
the Calendar and there is a dedicated team of individuals
that give their time and commitment to achieving our superb
and inspirational snapshot of Majestic Beauty. Huge thankyous
go to Denice Barker, Amy Brown, Josephine Vialle, Nick
Mooney, Jan Direen (PML Printing) and all twelve sponsors
that we are proudly in association with, and of course
the splendid subjects that truly make it a work of living
art. The Calendar and the proceeds have made it possible
to construct more rehabilitation enclosures, plant more
trees and create even greater awareness of what we aim
to achieve here at the Refuge.
Green Corps just finished a week of volunteer work at
the Refuge where Darren King oversaw the construction
of the 2x15m banks of slatted aviaries. Darren’s
hands on approach with a keen eye and supervisory talents
gave the project a professional flare. The Green Corps
team gained skills in building and a perspective on Tassie’s
threatened species after Vicki delivered a talk on what
the Refuge is all about (please see Green Corps article).
I would like to warmly welcome Hayley Ricardo as the
newest member of the Refuges’ team. I asked Hayley
if she would like to become chief editor and bottle washer
for our newsletter and she enthusiastically agreed. She
brings with her a wealth of knowledge on frogs and Tassie
Devils.
The Refuge has been operating smoothly thanks to my
committee, Alastair Shepherd (Treasurer) Anthea Wallhead
(Secretary) and Vicki Silcock. These people show true
dedication and a love of Tasmania’s wildlife, and
I can’t show enough gratitude to this team of caring
individuals.
Vicki has been involved for quite some time now at the
Refuge. She was previously a Raptor handler and educational
speaker at Currumbin Bird Sanctuary (QLD) and we are very
proud to have her knowledge and passion here at the Refuge.
Vicki has done a tremendous job looking after the hands
on side of the Refuge while I have been on the mainland
intermittently. Even with broken ankle Vicki kept all
patients fed and happy, and I must commend on her partners’
ability to help out when it’s needed most. Picking
up road kill isn’t the most glamorous task but one
of the utmost importance, cheers Adrian.
So much works goes on behind the spotlight at the Refuge
and I feel compelled to mention what one of our board
members quietly achieves. Our very own Legal Eagle (pun
intended) is our Treasurer Alastair Shepherd. He diligently
looks after the accounts and watches over our precious
bank balance with a Hawkeye, all his voluntary work is
paramount in keeping everything above board and he is
meticulous to a tee. Thank you Alastair for your invaluable
advice and excellent ideas.
Anthea is also a mainstay in our close-knit team and
she has some terrific skills, knowledge and forward thinking
ideas. Anthea has written some very entertaining articles
for our Website and her son Peter from Wallhead
Multimedia has done a superb job updating and
maintaining it and it really is looking professional,
please take a moment to view their work at www.raptorrefuge.com.au
So I think that it is quite obvious that I am proud
of the Raptor & Wildlife Refuge team, and what we
can achieve when we set our minds on a goal and go for
it. Our goals are ALL achievable and we have many, but
the primary aims are to be a voice for all wildlife, to
have safe and secure facilities, and to spread the message
of conservation to young and old.
I would like to mention how important our membership
base is, we are now reaching towards 200 members and this
number is steadily increasing. Ideas and thoughts are
always very welcome and please feel free to pass on any
wildlife story that we can put in the newsletter. Membership
runs from June –June so please renew your membership.
Craig Webb
Public Officer
Craig@raptorrefuge.com.au
0408725869
New aviaries!
Green Corps is an Australian Government program which
has employed thousands of young Australians across the
country for around a decade. Projects are six months long,
and there are new projects starting up every three months.
Each project begins with a team of ten diverse young individuals
(aged between 17 and 20), and just like any other job,
we all go through an application and interview process
to get a position on the team.
Throughout the six month program we undergo practical
on-ground work experience in areas such as bush regeneration,
track building, landscaping, fencing, and basic construction;
we develop heaps of skills in leadership and teamwork;
and we get accredited training in Conservation & Land
Management.
Our team is based in Taroona and we currently have eight
members – four guys and four girls from the greater
Hobart area - as well as our Team Leader. We are all keen
to be learning more about protecting the natural environmental,
and we love animals, so we were very excited to be working
near the great birds of prey at the Raptor & Wildlife
Refuge in Kettering.
We spent five days constructing two bird aviaries, working
alongside local handyman Darren King. It was a huge task
for our team as none of us had any prior building experience.
The aviaries will house smaller raptors, such as falcons,
and we learned that many of these small injured raptors
were currently being put down as there was no facility
for their rehabilitation.
We all agreed that the hardest task during the week was
getting the huge roof beams in place, but we put in a
massive effort, really pulling together as a team in order
to get it done. At times we felt we were risking life
and limb, and we can only hope the birds appreciate the
pain, suffering, and hard work that was involved!
Building the aviaries was a great chance for us to learn
a bunch of new skills like using drills and a generator,
measuring, following plans, using bolts, hammering nails,
and conquering fears of heights (nothing like a bit of
forced encouragement when you are working on the aviary
roof and the ladder gets taken away - you are balancing
on a wooden frame that you helped put up and you start
to fear for your life, not for heights – you find
yourself hoping that you did a good job making sure the
frame was properly constructed!).
There were also many injuries suffered in the making
of the aviaries. People accidentally hammering their thumbs
and fingers, people falling great heights off the tops
of ladders (actually, that was just handyman Darren -
he survived), and of course the team member who was eaten
by one of the huge Wedge-Tailed Eagles (just kidding,
but you never know…) - clearly, building is a dangerous
business!
At the end of the week the satisfaction of seeing what
we had completed was amazing, (even though we all had
very sore hands from hammering in hundreds of nails).
We were very excited to have made such a big contribution
to the ongoing rehabilitation efforts of our native wildlife.
For more information about Green Corps, or if you would
like to apply for an upcoming project, please contact
CVGT Employment & Training in Hobart on 6232 2000
Recovering from injury, by Vicki Silcock
 Things
were going nice and smoothly over the last few months
while I’ve been helping run the refuge, all be it
flat out picking up injured birds etc. But then on the
6th March I was on the receiving end of an injury, had
a bad fall down an embankment, broke my ankle and broke
my leg!!!!! I don't do things in halves! My partner Adrian
had a very quick lesson in how to collect and what to
collect in the 'road kill' department, as he became my
chauffeur and carer for the past 6 weeks. What a fantastic
job he did, although the road kill took some getting used
to for him. He would come home very excited, especially
when he got some fresh rabbits, as the eagles love those
the best. So there we would be, me on crutches, and Adrian
carrying the food for our beautiful raptors. I couldn't
have continued on without him, so a huge thank you to
Adrian.
Also in the middle of all of this we rehab 'd a gorgeous
little tawny, which after several weeks of just sitting
pretending he wasn't really there, he became very active,
and graduated to the second largest of our raptor aviaries.
He loved this, and let us know by doing several laps at
a time, letting us know that he was ready to be released.
It was a calm night on dusk, and we took him, together
with the people that rescued him, and released him up
the bush at Longley where he was found. He knew where
he was, and was a handful to hang on to, sensing what
was about to happen to him. He flew to the highest biggest
tree he could find, with the ease of a 100% recovered
bird, looked down at us, and immediately branched, and
pretended he wasn't there once again.
My plaster cast is off now, and I no longer need the
crutches, our new aviaries are being built, and it is
with great anticipation that I look forward to caring
for more raptors and birds, giving them the opportunity
to once again fly free.
Visit to Eagles Heritage, Margaret River,
WA
Eagles Heritage has the largest presentation of birds
of prey in Australia and specialises in rehabilitation
of injured birds, breeding endangered species, and educating
children and adults about caring and respecting these
birds. EH is situated about 5 km south-west of Margaret
River in WA and was opened on January 1, 1988 to cater
for injured birds handled by the Society for the Preservation
of Raptors. It is set amongst 29 acres of bushland, and
visitors can take a 1 km walk to view the birds in their
specially designed aviaries, which include eucalypts and
other native plants. The aviaries are large enough for
birds to fly about and are mostly made of wire mesh or
soft netting over steel poles, with roofed spaces at the
back for roosting.
I visited the centre with my sister and brother-in-law
in March this year, and on arrival, I introduced myself
and explained my connection to the Raptor Refuge in Tasmania.
We walked through the bush first, and I was very impressed
to see such a range of birds in aviaries – wedge-tailed
eagles, sea eagles, tawny frogmouths, a variety of owls
and kites, plus a few pythons!
We also attended one of the talks given each day at 11.00am
and 1.30pm. Ours was given by Nancy, who appeared with
Echo, a baby barn owl, which perched on her gloved hand
and had thin straps attached to his legs to prevent it
flying off. Every now and then he would fly over to the
fence rail and then fly back when Nancy took some food
from a pouch she carried. Echo was the frailest of the
owlets born in a clutch and was hand-reared by Nancy from
the time he was about 40mm high, up to the 240mm he was
now. Nancy fed him pieces of chicken while she described
raptors and the reasons they were so endangered. It was
a very comprehensive and interesting account, but disturbing
to know of the very small percentage of eagles and other
raptors that survive for more than three years.
Nancy then described Echo’s survival story before
giving a few visitors the chance to have him perch on
their arm for photos. After this he was taken away and
Nancy stood in the clearing and threw pieces of meat into
the air for four black kites, which swooped fast, jostled
each other and fought for the scraps they caught in mid-air,
while she described their methods of catching insects
and other food.
Once the other visitors had left, Nancy was happy to
discuss Eagles Heritage in more detail for us, and Echo
perched on my gloved hand too – so cute!
 Then
Nancy took us back to the rehabilitation area and showed
us Ray, a blind wedge-tailed eagle (so-called because
of singer Ray Charles who was blind and the eagle also
liked to jig around on his perch as if listening to music).
Ray was probably about 3 years old, and she suspected
he was a victim of secondary poisoning. This happens when
a bird eats vermin that has died from eating poisoned
bait. Ray was tethered to a low perch in a shed and looked
very unwell. Although his sight was gradually improving
with treatment, he was still brain-damaged to the extent
that he had lost his aggression and allowed Nancy to stroke
his head and wings without flinching. Nancy was hopeful
that once his sight improved and he was placed in a specially
built aviary, his natural instincts would recover and
he would be able to be successfully rehabilitated.
We were very privileged to be able to see behind the
scenes, and after buying some eagle souvenirs and exchanging
contact details, we departed, determined to help publicise
the facility and encourage others to visit. Eagles Heritage
gave me some good ideas for fund-raising for our Raptor
Refuge too, and more information will be distributed later
this year.
Anthea Wallhead
Did You Know?
The Tasmanian Wedge-tailed eagle, Aquila audax fleayi
is listed as endangered under the Threatened Species Protection
Act 1995 as there are estimated to be only 1000-1500 birds
(including juveniles) remaining in the wild.
Subspecies: This subspecies has been
genetically isolated from its’ mainland relatives
for at least 8000 years (since Tasmania was last linked
to mainland Australia by a land bridge).
Lifespan: In the wild it is estimated
that Wedge-tailed eagles live to 20-25 years, however
there is evidence of birds living for 40 years in captivity.
Breeding: Wedge-tailed eagles generally
pair for life, becoming sexually mature at around 3-4years
of age. Each breeding season pairs perform impressive
aerial displays when courting and pair bonding. Pairs
nest in a range of old-growth forests favouring emergent
trees in old-growth eucalypt forests.
Diet: Wedge-tailed eagles are one of
the few native predators to regularly prey on feral animals,
with rabbits, hares and cats comprising approximately
45% of their diet in rural areas. Carrion (dead animals)
provides a major food source during winter, while inexperienced
and immature birds rely on this food source year round.
Feature Bird
Who Am I?!
I:
* Have approximately 20 spots on each wing
* Inhabit wet and dry coastal eucalypt forests
* Breed between September and January
* Nest in tree hollows
* Am about 100mm in size
I eat:
* A variety of insects, mostly those found in the
White (Manna) Gums, Eucalyptus viminalis.
* Termites and weevils.
How come I’m so special?
* I am endemic to Tasmania and the Bass Strait Islands
* I am endangered with only a few relic populations
remaining
I am...
The Forty-Spotted Pardalote,
Pardalotus quadragintus
Source: M. Kennedy, Australian Endangered Species,
1990, Simon Schuster Aus. + Simpson and Day, Field Guide
to the Birds of Australia, 7th Ed. 2004, Penguin Books
Australia.
Contact us
For more information on the Refuge or to find out how
you can help check out the website www.raptorrefuge.com.au
or contact the Raptor and Wildlife Refuge Tasmania Inc.
email: craig@raptorrefuge.com
Ph: 0408725869
Post: PO BOX 108 Kettering 7155
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