Baited Birds
68Sea Eagles - from photobucket
Sea Eagles - from photobucket
And so the devastation of life on earth continues, but this time it is the avian life form that seeks the limelight in the worst possible way.
I read an article " Who is saving the great birds of Sydney" by John Huxley in last Saturdays's newspaper "The Sydney Morning Herald". The article was about the beautiful white sea eagles that are being systematically poisoned by the twenty year build up of chemical detritus around Homebush Bay and in the Parramatta River's waterways. Dioxins - Poisons that affect the fish that the birds eat for their survival are being blamed for the high bird mortality rate. The most heavily polluted areas it seems are to be found around Neutral Bay and Rushcutters Bay where the main offenders are the pesticides and heavy metals.
chemical poisons - water - shellfish - fish - birds - death. and so the great cycle of life slows down - halts.
Birds are dropping out of the sky - literally. The lack of care results in death to these particular members of a most stunningly beautiful bird species. I understand from the article that at least seven of these birds have died over past years.
But money is money and after all birds cannot supply that all important dollar to man. Obviously for Australia to survive commercially on the worldwide stage production must march on regardless but the big question here is why can't the disposal of chemical rubbish be supervised more closely, regulated more avidly, and effectively disposed of so that the inter- dependant life forms are not being killed needlessly. Another question is why don't the owners of said chemical residue accept their ethical and moral responsibility to dispose properly of the end- products of their money making businesses. Poisoning the waterways cannot be good for anyone. And if they can't accept their responsibilites why has the government allowed this regime of slackness and carelessness to slip under the carpet? Where are the regulators, the inspectors of the waterways?
Who is responsible? in a way I guess we all are in some small way - but in the meantime these poor birds suffer and die - mothers, fathers and even chicklet corpses have been found floating along the Parramatta River. What is this going to do for the species? a rhetorical question I know but action is needed now.
From what I understand of birdlife (which is not a lot) birds somehow imprint on their brains where to travel, where the best breeding grounds are, where to find the right food, what trees produce fruit or nuts at what time, and this information is passed on generationally and becomes intrinsic to their way of life- their avian living skills, So it is here that I wonder wrongly or rightly, how many generations of birds will live briefly to die by chemical poisoning before their brain patterns impose a new thought that maybe this particular river is not conducive to good living - how many more birds will die before they find a new habitat where they can safely drink water and eat non-contaminated fish in safety.
National Geographic Photograher Jon Irvine is reported iin John Huxley's article to be particularly upset about the state of play with these and other beautiful birds being at such risk and he goes on to say that "it is a mystery" as to why it is happening . Plus it was also predicted in the same article that " until the State Government does something about the toxic state of the bay". the death of the birds will continue.
There is reported good news in this instance and that is, that there is a $100 million dollar improvement project planned to take place at the Rhodes peninsula but "it could take some time". This will improve the water ways which can only be good after "twenty years of neglect when previously the area was a place birds couldn't live in at all".
So I ask again - who is at fault here? - well certainly it is neither fish nor fowl!
copyright: a.a.gallagher ; march 2009
all rights reserved.
general information gleaned from "Who is killing the great birds of Sydney?" - an article by in the Sydney Morning Herald:
dated Saturday, March 14-15 2009:writer John Huxley
from photobucket - Turkmamk
Eagles - from utube - While bald eagles are quite recognizable, the name "bald" is a bit confusing. Historically, early Americans called these birds "bald heade
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Comments
Thanks Frieda - these pictures are stunning aren't they! frankly with what we have allowed to happen to our bird life I wouldn't like to come back and find that the birds were in charge! cheers
Aj,
Man is to blame,
Legislation is to blame!
That great god Dollar
Legitimate handling of Eco disasters
Lines their coffers
offers sobs
issues clouded
fresher headlines
cloak
and cover the
Avian skeletons
that cover over
oil soaked penguins.
Mans needs
Dollar greed grow
disasters continue.
Man's shame!
Thanks just_rodney for this poem - did you just write it? and what's more it is so true - greed is at the root of most things evil.....cheers
Aj, yes I just wrote, I felt anger and frustration when I read your hub, I started to write a normal type comment and it so happened that it lent itself for what it came out as.
Thanks for the air time for my poem, as you seem to attract a large number of comments. A bit of exposure always helps!
Take care.
See you on the HUBS.
anytime just-rodney - my pleasure entirely - I really felt your words and as i know how much you care for birds I understood completely where you were coming from...cheers and thanks for calling in.
Any time Aj.
great hub -- we will never even know some of the destruction we have caused on this planet.
Why is it a species has to be nearly wiped out before regular people rise up and say "Whoa!" to the destruction. If a company dumps chemicals into a river, something that lives there is going to die. Irks me no end that, until large numbers of birds or fish have died, they get away with it because some agency in league with them sets an artificially high ppm (parts per million) of whatever chemical as "safe". Waterways are *not* free toilets for companies to dump chemicals into!
Great hub and good videos - thanks for sharing
I love it when people act confused as to why the wildlife are dying when the answers are so abudantly evident if one only looks around. Pollution is man's doing and the far reaching effects are so great, that most turn a blind eye to the problem. In America we have the same issues...blindness and denial.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps for others to "see".
The almighty DOLLAR isn't it wonderful how we measure so many things we do or don't do by it?? Hummm...I mean never mind right or wrong...caring for Mother nature and her family...discusting...
Where I live we have made a big comeback in our Bald Eagles...even have then in the yard taking my chickens to their babies...they fly everywhere here and so magnificant...their wing spread is increditable...Nice hub my dear and hope the right people get the message...G-Ma :O) Hugs & Peace
As I walk at the beach, I am saddened that people can't walk another fifteen feet to the trash can to throw their debris and I can't believe people don't see they are destroying the beauty when they either ignore the issue, or contribute to the problem, and its affecting not only the birds but all of us, nice job ajcor.
Hi Teresea - what bothers me here is that there are probably undiscovered creatures that will be extinct by the time man finds out about them.... death by pollution...cheers
Jama Genee - "Waterways are *not* free toilets for companies to dump chemicals into!" you are so right! and as for the ppm scale that really stinks! thanks for your comment...cheers
Thanks Julie-Ann - they are beautiful videos of beautiful birds...amazing really...cheers
thanks for your comment Cindy Letchworth, I would have added ignorance also to your list but I guess that with all the publicity pollution is getting now it is not a goer to plead ignorance for man's stupidity! thanks for your comment...cheers
Nice to see you G-Ma Johnson, what an amazing experience for you to see these magnificent birds in your garden never mind the flying in to steal your chickens from under your very nose part! (how did the poor chickens feel I wonder?) did you see in the video why they are called bald eagles? fantastic - thanks for your comment...cheers
Hi goldentoad, our beaches seem to be pretty clean (although that could of course be the overnight council cleaners) but it is when people chuck their maccas/lunch rubbish out of the car windows that makes me upset.. lazy sods.....like you we have huge country to cover and when the roads become dumping grounds it makes you wonder just what sort of people stoop to this! and you're right of course about the compounding effect on all of us ....thanks GT ....cheers
Excellent information! Our waterways worldwide are being polluted by industrial chemicals and pharmaceutical chemicals. We need to remember that water is a finite resource and see the death of these birds as a harbinger of our own death. If we poison all the water, we will pretty much be out of luck!
our social responsibility is not limited to the world we move in. thanks for this wake up call :D
You are so right justmesuzanne - a very real question of what goes around comes around! kill the water and then kill ourselves...so stupid really. cheers and thanks for commenting.
it was really me reading last saturdays paper and the article by John Huxley in the Sydney Morning Herald that moved me Cris A - so I thought I would share the joy - lol - but really we all need to act where and when we can and you are right we are responsible!....cheers and thanks for your comment.
What truly saddens me is that we are the "evolved" species with consciousness, the ones that are supposed to take care of our people, our animals, rainforest, and essentially all life, but instead we use our intelligence to destroy all the good things that have been given to us at no charge. How much did God charge man for this once beautiful and incredible planet? The good news is that there are many people in our world that are consciously attempting to remedy our situation. I am glad to know that there is a plan for improvement to clean up the penninsula.
Beautiful hub!
yes Mayra Mejia wwe are meant to be the responsible ones but it just isn't always so - particularly when money, greed and selfishness gets in the way - so we certainly need the people who act to rectify the situation...but if everyone does something to help be it big or small this also helps in no small way...thanks for your kind comment...cheers
Great hub, Ajcor. There's a lake near where I live where bald eagles hang out. It's awesome!
Also, someone (I'm not telling who!) got a shot of you at the Nude Cafe!
Lucky you CW., having these big beautiful birds so close by that you can go and watch them... and take secret photos of them too of course!
thanks for commenting ...cheers
Aj A strong commentary on how we destroy our planet by our own ignorance, laziness and often misgiuded altruism. We humans like the dinosaurs will reach the end of our tenure on earth!
Great hub great pictures
Thanks sixtyorso - dreadful thought that we are in some ways like the dinosaur and seek to terminate our very existence through base stupidity...thanks for your thoughtful comment...cheers
Eagles are the most beautiful bird in the world. My God we all have to everything we can to protect and conserve all wildlife or forever it will be gone and pics will be all we have left to remember.
"and pics will be all we have left to remember" - what a totally chilling thought blondepoet!
thanks for calling in and commenting..cheers
ps found pest's fishing hole yet?
Ajcor: I hate to hear of wildlife dying because of the foolishness of man. Then, when there are efforts to do something about it, there's a long line of people objecting for various capitalistic and commercial interests. It irks me. When are these people going to get it through their heads that something needs to be done and fast. As the animals go, so go we.
Thanks you for an in-depth and informative work on this international problem!
"there's a long line of people objecting for various capitalistic and commercial interests" it's amazing isn't it Chris., how this part of our society always seems to have the bigger say and appear to able to impress their commercial views onto all of us...at the expense of the fowl and fauna's very existence.. sometimes it seems as if there is no long term planning or even rational thought processes going on...cheers and thanks for calling in..
Eagle vs. Eagle in Mid-air - from utube - National Geographic/Sea eagles clash in an aerial dogfight as they fight over food and territory
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Frieda Babbley says:
9 months ago
They are so gorgeous they look like paintings. Nature is so amazing. I don't understand why people take nature for granted. Great photos and videos. And very good questions. I wonder what the birds think of us.