Beris, Our Mac Coordinator

Beris Jenkins is not only our branch macropod coordinator, but also our animal food coordinator. She has 20 years experience raising joeys, including Red, Western and Eastern Grey Kangaroos, and Euros (which are a sub-species of the Wallaroo) in Broken Hill as well as kangaroos, swamp wallabies and red-necked wallabies for our branch.

She has cared for up to 8 joeys at a time, and although it is very time consuming and stressful, she does it because she loves the animals, particularly the euros and the swamp wallabies that have an especially endearing personality. The close support within our branch is also extremely important to her.

As food coordinator, Beris orders food from Cooinda Downs in Wollongong, which supplies Wombaroo products, including milk powders for various species of joey and powdered feed for various types of birds. Normally members purchase the food from Beris for 50% of the cost, but this year the food is free.

Beris has the tricky task of balancing what she has in stock (stored in a spare cupboard in a second bedroom) with what is likely to go out of date before it is used. She also has to organise distribution and collect payment across a wide area from Narooma up to Milton. This is helped by having a drop off point at Moruya Books and members willing to help with transport further north. A drop off point in Batemans Bay would be useful.

Beris is pictured above with her current swamp wallaby joeys, 6 month old Smiley Girl and 7.5 month old Finn.

Collared Sparrow Hawk Rescue

Story by Shelley Clarke

A critical call came through on xMatters at 5.45pm Tuesday 11 August for an unknown falcon in Moruya: "broken wing, can't fly, on front lawn”.

Dave and I set off, armed with our RICC Manual to read on the way (page 158 "Rescuing Raptors"), head torches, reflective vests, welding gloves, a cardboard box lined with a towel and a hand towel rolled into a log for the bird to grip onto.

When we arrived, we found a small raptor (that we couldn't initially identify) on the front lawn of a residential home. The rescue and handling techniques on page 159 of the manual were very detailed and easy to follow, and we contained the bird for transport.

We did take a quick photo when the bird was captured for ID purposes before we contacted our Raptor Coordinator, Kevin Clapson, from the scene. Kevin approved vet assessment and for us to hold the bird overnight.

Our State Raptor Coordinator, Jana Shrader, messaged us to thank us for attending, and she confirmed it was a Collared Sparrow Hawk.

Sandy kindly arranged vet assessment the following morning. The bird was found to have a fractured humerus. Sandy cared for it until Anica could transport it for ongoing specialist care in Wollongong. The hawk had surgery to put a pin in its humerus and is recuperating well.

This was a great team effort.

Drones Measuring Wildlife

The Ripper Rescue Alliance has joined with WIRES to employ drones to survey wildlife impacted by the summer bushfires.

During May 2020, 42 thermal flights were flown over 4 nights (10.5 hours) to survey 700 hectares west of Bodalla in the vicinity of Comerang Road and Short Cut Road. Around 50 animals were spotted: including 36-40 macropods, 10-16 gliders including the greater glider on one night, 1 quoll and 2 wombats.

Ref: Bushfire Recovery Initiative, The Ripper Rescue Alliance, 2020.

Stop Work Order on Logging

The Forestry Corporation has been cutting down trees in the South Brooman State Forest inland from Bawley Point. It has been ordered to cease its work because it has breached rules requiring hollow bearing trees to be identified and protected.

“This area is known to be home to several threatened species that use hollow bearing trees. The Yellow-bellied Glider, the Glossy-Black Cockatoo and the Powerful, Masked and Sooty Owls are all listed as vulnerable species and may use hollow bearing trees for habitat,” according to Carmen Dwyer, EPA Executive Director of Regulatory Operations.

Rules protecting hollow bearing trees were introduced after the summer bushfires for forests that were impacted by the fires in coastal areas.

Ref: Forestry Corporation issued with a Stop Work Order to cease tree harvesting near Batemans Bay, The Beagle Weekly, 23 July 2020.

Manyana Development Update

In June we reported that an area of 20 hectares in Manyana was about to be logged. Various species, including the Greater Glider, had found refuge there from the fires and, following the logging, the area was to be bulldozed for a residential subdivision. However, a campaign by local residents temporarily halted the development while the Federal Court considered evidence.

In August the federal government required more studies to be done, before the development could go ahead, to determine the potential impact on threatened species. There was particular concern for a colony of grey headed flying foxes. This pressure led to the state government agreeing to contribute to a fund to buy the land so it can be turned over to NSW National Parks. The fundraising it expected to be organised by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife.

Ref: Nick O’Malley, Fundraisers try to save the last patch of unburnt forest in Manyana, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 August 2020.

Handling Birds

Part 2 - Large Birds and Water Birds

To capture a large bird throw a towel over it and wrap it up, being careful of its claws, beak and legs. Hold the back of its head with one hand and secure its wings with the other, as shown in the picture. Large birds can be transported in a large cardboard box.

A water birds can be captured in the same way with a towel, being careful of its beak, legs and claws. It should be held with one hand holding its beak and head (being careful not to cover its nostrils) and the other firmly around the body, as shown in the picture. It can also be transported in a large cardboard box.

Illustrations and information: Sharon White, Caring for Australian Wildlife, Australian Geographic, revised edition 2020, p. 29.