Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2013 16:34:51 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by molloch on Jun 30, 2013 19:04:13 GMT 10
Certainly looks like one. Will be interesting when they release more details.
They do turn up as road kill from time to time, so perhaps not quite as elusive as the Thylacine. Nothing is known about their biology though, and certainly they were much more common in the 19th century.
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 1, 2013 13:52:38 GMT 10
Not just photographed, but filmed, I believe. The bird hung around the searcher for 35 minutes.
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 1, 2013 14:55:12 GMT 10
|
|
Thylacoleo Gal
Administrator 
Thylacoleo Gal
The Singularity is near.
Posts: 3,689 
|
Post by Thylacoleo Gal on Jul 3, 2013 6:16:20 GMT 10
The Australian newspaper is certainly emphasising its proprietorship over the bird! 
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 4, 2013 17:45:09 GMT 10
Yep. Another article there today, plus two on the ABC. I went to the night parrot forum yesterday - most striking feature? It hops like a kangaroo - both feet in synch, and tail used as counterweight. It's a bizarre bird, especially when you hear about its territorial defences.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2013 10:57:44 GMT 10
During the mid 70s I lived at Marree in the N of SA. A family used to use my place to park their caravaan whilst making forays into the back country searching for old aborigine evidence, bori rings and the like.
The lady was a daughter of Rev Plowman. first outback patrol pardre operating out from OOdnadatta, N SA., hence her interest in the outback SA. (Flyn of the outback days )
Also she guided expeditions into those outback places.
A night parrot was skittled on the road near the Cooper on the Birdsvelle road, so there was a resurgence in interest in that critter. and an expedition was assembled to traverse the S side of the Cooper, going East. It was a camel back trip to ensure silence and observers having height to do their observing.
Of course the trip was a fizzer.
Soon after a ringer (OK cowboy) from Mulka, ( Mudlamulka, Mudla Local native name for dog, mulka Hill) Station, a small cattle station on N side of the cooper, was in Marree,in the pub fighting off an attack of dehydration and he heard about these peoples looking for this here parrot.
He stated that they could be found on the N side of the Cooper at the east end of the property. 28.20S 139.00 W.
Of course this was nearly 40 years ago.
If the learned edumacated peoples had have canvassed around the station workers before going off into the donga they may have done a bit better.
Happy hunting BC
|
|
|
|
Post by rayharvey271 on Jul 7, 2013 13:41:07 GMT 10
wal edul people aint that smart, it only the rare ones who asked , then write it up as thier discovery.bit like edison did.
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 8, 2013 18:48:04 GMT 10
BC, what's "the Cooper"?
|
|
|
|
Post by dennisw on Jul 9, 2013 0:21:05 GMT 10
Cooper is the Cooper Basin in SW Queensland and extending into SA site of oil fields and other mineral wealth.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 8:26:02 GMT 10
In my reference to the Coopper I am referring to Cooper creek and especially the lower reaches where it flows into Lake Eyre.
When the Cooper was flooded in the early 70s I was highway foreman at Marree and I waas given the job of measuuring the flow at the punt crossing.
I asked how in the hell was I to do that. Reply was. "Havnt a clue but you will think of something".
By straining up the punt cable with a bulldozer and using that as a reference I plotted the cross section of the flow. I measured out 100 metres on the bank and put in reference stakes.
I then got a bottle, boat, and stopwatch. and timed how long it took the bottle to cover the 100 metres. I was soon able to calculate the flow.
My results were not accepted so they sent up a convoy of experts with latest state of art flow meaasuring devices.
Their results were as near to dammit to what I got with a beer bottle and a stopwatch. BC
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 9, 2013 12:46:00 GMT 10
Hehehe... Cool story BC  So - do you reckon the landscape has changed much in 40 years, in particular as regards foxes or cats? And is it the same family that owns the land that you mentioned before? Or put another way - what are the odds of obtaining permission to look for the bird at that location? Chris. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 20:24:23 GMT 10
I cant find Mudlamulka in the local Phone book or WEB.
I expect they would be on radiophone or still relying on Flying Doctor radio service.
A call to Flying Doctor Service at port Augusta may turn up pay dirt. In the meantime I will talk to people who should have knowledge of contacts.
The topography would still be the same in that sandhill country with possible more herbage since the control of the rabbits.
I have never known of goats there or camels.
The only dramatic change up there is the revitalisation of the Flinders Ranges, since the myxo and calisi has the rabbits pretty well under control. Goats were caught and taken away by the thousand and further, I have no idea how many thousands of goats were shot by control shooting by SA SSAA. and helecopter shooting. Same with donkeys. I think the donks are all gone, may be some out the East side kept for sentimental reasons.
I had the pleasure of seeing the Flinders come back to life with hillsides being covered with re-groth cyprus pine??
Yellow footed rock wallabies have spread from where I found them intheNorth Gammon Ranges and have even reached this country.
People have askedme how I found them, I always get gasps of horror when I answer, "Delicious"
My group often see a small group in Telowie Gorge up the road fromhere. Sadly I can no longer traverse the hillsides, so I trim and cleanup walking tracks while the others gowalkies.
The group Photographer has many excellent photos of the little fellows. but then he can get good visions at half a Km or more with his cameras.
As my ward Cousin David never misses telling me when I visit him in care. "We are nearly 90 y'know".
Kind regards Bushcat
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 20:37:23 GMT 10
I suggest 2 vehicles radio a good map a GPS and a COMPASS.
One cant get lost, just head South till reaching the Cooper then head West along it to the Birdsvillle Road crossing.
Carry plenty of drinking water and a good supply of rations in case of getting bogged in.
Cheers BC
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2013 8:58:12 GMT 10
If anyone wishes to follow up on this lead, I can be contacted through QFT.
A chance to search for midget foxes is also a possibility.
Happy Hunting BC
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Jul 12, 2013 14:01:36 GMT 10
There's still a question of permission to access the land.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2013 8:57:55 GMT 10
No problem with the midget fox people, that is if the foxes have survived in that form. The owners of the station are personel friends of mine.
I will contact the Mulka people and smooth the way re the parrots.
Yellow foot wallabies are accesable in Brachina gorge just off the main road North of Hawker and they are very tame.
With restocking farm in Cent Vic the local cat has come home and taken some stock. Couple of nights back it was outside the house sounding off. But it was off key a bit, more like a fox. I wonder was it up to its old trick of mimicking a fox, inviting it to dinner.
Regs. Bushcat
|
|
|
|
Post by greatdane on Aug 12, 2013 21:33:52 GMT 10
|
|
Thylacoleo Gal
Administrator
Thylacoleo Gal
The Singularity is near.
Posts: 3,689
|
Post by Thylacoleo Gal on Aug 13, 2013 5:50:22 GMT 10
Cool! Now what we would like to hear confirmed is Thylacine DNA.  |
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Aug 15, 2013 12:04:01 GMT 10
DNA confirms Night Parrot find Yeah, but here's the thing - when I made enquiries about what to do if I found a thylacine carcass or similar, I got told thylacine hair is relatively easy to come by, so it wouldn't be believed in its own right. So my question is - with 2 undisputed 20th century night parrot carcasses in museum collections (plus more from the nineteenth century), why do these feathers get accepted as proof/evidence? (Or, alternatively, why wouldn't thylacine hair likewise be accepted?) Don't hear me wrong - I'm convinced he's found the bird - I watched the presentation where he showed the film footage - and yes, it could all be an elaborate hoax but really, I don't think so. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2013 19:59:31 GMT 10
Thylacine hair relatively easy to come by".
Well I would like to know where, I bust a gut trying to obtain some hairs without success, to compare with hairs obtained from a snare set in the Strathbogie
Ranges.
On examination of these hairs compared favourably with thylacine, or what had been written on the subject.
My friend who did the macro examination probably still has records on file and probably pics of the cross section of the hair,
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 7:53:24 GMT 10
Yeah, but here's the thing - when I made enquiries about what to do if I found a thylacine carcass or similar, I got told thylacine hair is relatively easy to come by,.. If it's easy to get hold of, there might be market for thylacine toupees. Collingwood supporters prolly go for the black and white stripes. |
|
|
|
Post by molloch on Feb 18, 2015 16:43:26 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by Ian Thomas on Feb 19, 2015 5:52:00 GMT 10
No wonder they're endangered
* Access via a Google search. At the instant the first text appears, stop loading. Google's syndicated but it takes a second or so before the server figures out you're not. |
|
|
|
Post by Ian Thomas on Feb 19, 2015 6:51:10 GMT 10
Being serious now. There's talk dingoes or tassie devils might help things. Don't see how, exactly.  |
|
|
|
Post by dennisw on Feb 19, 2015 10:54:17 GMT 10
Dingoes don't eat enough cats to make a difference, I had hoped the reduction of rabbits following RCV might see more cats fall prey to raptors but it apparently hasn't been enough, of course cats breed almost as quickly as rabbits.
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Feb 19, 2015 11:26:54 GMT 10
|
|
|
|
Post by youcantry on Feb 19, 2015 11:31:28 GMT 10
Article basically says John Young has found a number of small populations and in one of these they are 100% convinced a feral cat has killed one of the parrots.
It mentions "birdwatcher and naturalist Greg Roberts" who is calling for the Qld government to be more pro-active in their conservation, including the suggestion of turning the privately held land into a National Park. He mentions that the state government has a legal obligation to protect endangered wildlife.
It says sharpshooters have been hired (ie. to deal with cats). It says John Young and scientist Stephen Murphy have discovered the parrot at several other locations than the first.
"The enigmatic night parrot bounces along the ground, puffs itself up to display its green and gold plumage and bangs its head on the ground when excited."
The journalist appears to have communicated with Greg Roberts but it does not seem that there is any input directly from John Young (imo).
|
|
|
|
Post by molloch on Feb 19, 2015 11:55:52 GMT 10
Dingoes don't eat enough cats to make a difference, I had hoped the reduction of rabbits following RCV might see more cats fall prey to raptors but it apparently hasn't been enough, of course cats breed almost as quickly as rabbits. You should publish the results from your study on cat numbers killed by dingoes, Dennis, as there is a lot of research being done in this area at the moment and it could be useful. |
|
|
|
Post by dennisw on Feb 19, 2015 20:51:40 GMT 10
Channel 2 presented it recently I can't remember if it was on Landline or one of their current affairs programs, locally we receive all state editions of Landline but I don't think they are all shown in the Capital cities only the local state versions but I maybe mistaken. Areas in NT and the northern part of WA have been seeing increases in feral cat populations and corresponding declines in native animals.
|
|
