Newsletter compiled by Hayley Ricardo, Anthea Wallhead, Vicki Silcock and Craig Webb.
Online publication by Peter Wallhead.

Editions: [Current] [Feb. 2008] [2007]

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

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

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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