Beautiful Blueys- What A Shame They're Disappearing

[Buggster]

I find myself fortunate to live near the city, and yet have so much beautiful reserve at my back door- and with it all the amazing reptiles and animals that come with it.
Ringtails, brushies, gliders, owls, turkeys, birds, bats, frogs, lizards, snakes... you name it, and it's there.

Unfortunately my beautiful reserve was recently destroyed to make way for a huge block of apartments. And with it, they took away so much.
Immediately after I found several dead, young ringtails in my yard. Covered in wounds I can Only presume they lost their homes and were chased out of all the already over populated homes lefts.
The flock of approximately 12 brush turkeys that used to roost in my yard are gone. The huge mound the male had built has been abandoned and destroyed by starving animals looking for food- all chance of seeing chicks gone.

The most distressing thing for me to witness was to see a beautiful old tree cut down. This tree is supposed to be illegal to cut down without permission, but it's a lot easier to pay a fine then apply for a permit.

A pair of Magpies lived there. I saw them fly off when the tree was cut down, and a nest fall. They both returned to the stump of the tree and kept returning for several hours before finally giving up.


My water skinks haven't faired as badly- theyre safe in my yard and thriving as ever, but what's been most upsetting for me was the lack of Blueys.

4 years ago I saw the biggest one I've ever seen. Big orange girl who would sauntered around the block like she owned it. And a tonne of little babies that appeared soon after.
She wasn't hard to find- had a few favourite spots that you'd be able to check every now and then, and she'd be there.

Today was the first time I've seen her for almost three years (I presume it's her anyway...), and I almost cried when I saw her. Thought she was long dead- I thought they had been eradicated from my area, so to see her sauntering through without a care in the world was something special.


It's sad to see the decline of our beautiful native species. Sad to go places which were rich in native fauna and to only to a hear a faint rustle in the bush as some lone creature runs away.

What is this post? Not all that sure- but please, have a look around and enjoy what's left, and do everything you can to preserve it.

Thanks

 

[dragonlover1]

sadly developement $s mean more than nature.Where I grew up was only 100 metres to the bush,we would swim in the creek,catch lizards,turtles etc.Now it is all factories making noise and smoke 24/7

 

[Wokka]

Invariably the nature lovers want to live in houses, too, free of trees and scrub. I am a civil contractor building subdivisions. The first question most buyers ask is: Can we clear the remaining trees? Across the gully from where we are working now the houses backing onto the creek continually knock down trees and clear outside their boundary into the creek reserve. It is strange they buy in the area for the bush outlook and then proceed to destry it bit by bit as well as bringing dogs and cats to finish off anything they miss.

 

[dragonlover1]

I luckily managed to buy the house I grew up in,just under 700sqm and want to turn it into a bush haven with free range chickens and veges plus reptiles.

 

[Sheldoncooper]

It's a disgrace.
That plot would of been checked too for a wildlife or fauna assement. If the animals or wildlife that live in the area aren't considered endangered, then its not an issue. Destroy there homes. However if there's something there that no one knew about its almost impossible to build on. There was an area were i grew up in which i encountered blue tounges, jacky dragons, water skinks, tiger snakes. Copper heads and red bellies on a daily basis over the warmer months. All destroyed for factories. And yet ive been evolved in a multi million dollar project that was unable to go ahead because of a dead guppy that was found in the area that was considered to be endangered. No one found a live specimen in months of searching. $5000. To $10,000 fine for cutting down a 200 year old native Gumtree. Not alot if that tree sits on a multi million dollar project. However they will do an artifacts search incase they find some old useless bit of crap like a rock shaped like a spear head that no one gives a stuff about. If anyone can explain the theory behind it all im all ears.

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[Wokka]

In development circles it is referred to as NIMBY- Not In My Back Yard. Most people are green except when it effects their own hip pocket. They want flora and fauna on everyone elses yard but on their own they want gardens, chooks etc and certainly not snakes or spiders.

 

[Nero Egernia]

In development circles it is referred to as NIMBY- Not In My Back Yard. Most people are green except when it effects their own hip pocket. They want flora and fauna on everyone elses yard but on their own they want gardens, chooks etc and certainly not snakes or spiders.

That's the complete opposite of what I want for my home. Lizards, snakes, insects, birds, frogs, I try my utmost to encourage them to stay. My dream is to have a property surrounded by bush. If it's already been cleared however, I would work at re-vegetating it. It's always disheartening when people clear native plants, only to replace them with lawns and exotics. Who needs a garden and a barren lawn when you can have a reserve?

 

[Murph_BTK]

what great and yet sad read i too took my girls today herping through parts of the Glasshouse mountains on the Sunshine coast and all we found was a dead possum.. and one water dragon.. did find heaps of cigarette butts coke cans chip packets.. clothes and general **** people decide they can drag to the beautiful sites but CBF taking rubbish back with them.. my daughter and I collected what we could in my backpack and brought it home and placed in the bin... ...

add me on instagram murph_BTK

 

[Wally]

If there is a glimmer of hope to hold onto it's that blueys are a hardy species. I've found them in industrial estates that have remnant habitat left, albeit degraded.

Good discussion to have Buggster. And well expressed.

 

[dragonlover1]

In development circles it is referred to as NIMBY- Not In My Back Yard. Most people are green except when it effects their own hip pocket. They want flora and fauna on everyone elses yard but on their own they want gardens, chooks etc and certainly not snakes or spiders.

I hate developers,they are scum.I don't care what lives on my land as long as it is native,I even let the black house spiders live in my kitchen window despite my wish to keep the house tidy....argghh

 

[pinefamily]

No, I draw the line at spiders in the house; and flies.
Since moving to the country, we have a species of small skink in our yard, as well as the occasional bluey. There are lacies down in the creek and the golf course just down the road. I haven't cut down any trees, only trimmed a couple of branches where the new shed is going up. I will plant some new trees when this is done to compensate. Most trees I've already planted aren't natives but fruit trees. Still brings the birds into the yard. I get daily visits from the same magpie family.

 

[Nero Egernia]

Fruit trees aren't too bad. They not only attract birds, but they attract lizards as well, especially Bobtails and King's Skinks. I'm not a fan of lawns. They're barren for the most part and provide little cover. My place is a hot spot for many bird species, most of which I haven't identified. The Blue Wrens are the most notable, not at all bothered with my presence. It seems that I have more birds than the neighbors. I believe this may be because I don't have dogs and cats in the yard. Unfortunately, the neighbors report that their dogs actively catch and eat the birds.

 

[Wokka]

It is hard to have people and animals without one impacting the other. Is it better to have 10,000people sprinkled over 10,000 acres? or, 10,000 people in say 1000 acres and leave the other 9900 acres left natural. Often people elect to live with space at the expense of the natural environment. Whatever you do you can normally justify it one way or another.

 

[Peckoltia]

As an Environmental Advisor working in the construction industry I see both sides of the coin. People have to realise, that their own properties had to be cleared to make way for their homes, the roads you use to get to work had to be cleared, the food you eat is grown on cleared land, the footy parks your children play on at the weekend and so on. Just because you are happy with your lot at the moment, doesn't mean that progress stops.

I agree it is a shame that natural parcels of land are being destroyed and native habitat lost, there is no question about it. But let me assure you working in the construction industry in WA (for a national company so I also have an understanding of NSW in particular), contractors need to jump through all sorts of hoops and have lots of environmental management measures in place to ensure that aspects of the environment that can be protected are. I am unaware of any contractors that will knowingly break the law (and cop fine) because it is easier than applying for the correct permits/licenses and then complying with the conditions stipulated. Fines like this go on tendering statistics making it harder to win future work (not what you want in this market), they are reported in the media ruining the companies reputation, it also opens the company up to further scrutiny from governing bodies.

Crapping on the construction industry/developers with only a small understanding through word of mouth and hear say is garbage and counter productive.

I will be spending the remainder of the week relocating fauna from and area of land to be cleared next week - this is inclusive of mammals and reptiles. This comes at a cost (financial) and time to both the contractor and the principal for this project. But i assure you it will be done and done to the best of my ability. I have seen a few generalisations made in this thread and I wont name names etc. But to say that if fauna is not endangered then no care is made to protect them from harm, this is completely untrue.

Wokka is exactly right in regards to trees that have been retained being removed from blocks. I have worked on projects in the past where the principal has made every precaution to retain large trees, both in the road verge and on future blocks. This has often come at a cost, as it is easier to completely raze a parcel of land than it is to retain trees, protect them and work around them. All this was done only to have potential/future buyers ask for the trees to be removed prior to signing on the dotted line. What does that teach developers?

I've said enough.

 

[Sheldoncooper]

As an Environmental Advisor working in the construction industry I see both sides of the coin. People have to realise, that their own properties had to be cleared to make way for their homes, the roads you use to get to work had to be cleared, the food you eat is grown on cleared land, the footy parks your children play on at the weekend and so on. Just because you are happy with your lot at the moment, doesn't mean that progress stops.

I agree it is a shame that natural parcels of land are being destroyed and native habitat lost, there is no question about it. But let me assure you working in the construction industry in WA (for a national company so I also have an understanding of NSW in particular), contractors need to jump through all sorts of hoops and have lots of environmental management measures in place to ensure that aspects of the environment that can be protected are. I am unaware of any contractors that will knowingly break the law (and cop fine) because it is easier than applying for the correct permits/licenses and then complying with the conditions stipulated. Fines like this go on tendering statistics making it harder to win future work (not what you want in this market), they are reported in the media ruining the companies reputation, it also opens the company up to further scrutiny from governing bodies.

Crapping on the construction industry/developers with only a small understanding through word of mouth and hear say is garbage and counter productive.

I will be spending the remainder of the week relocating fauna from and area of land to be cleared next week - this is inclusive of mammals and reptiles. This comes at a cost (financial) and time to both the contractor and the principal for this project. But i assure you it will be done and done to the best of my ability. I have seen a few generalisations made in this thread and I wont name names etc. But to say that if fauna is not endangered then no care is made to protect them from harm, this is completely untrue.

Wokka is exactly right in regards to trees that have been retained being removed from blocks. I have worked on projects in the past where the principal has made every precaution to retain large trees, both in the road verge and on future blocks. This has often come at a cost, as it is easier to completely raze a parcel of land than it is to retain trees, protect them and work around them. All this was done only to have potential/future buyers ask for the trees to be removed prior to signing on the dotted line. What does that teach developers?

I've said enough.

Sounds like u do a great job. And certainly not saying its the fault of the contractor thats doing the clearing. I think it goes a bit higher up than the contractor. Developers can't always obtain permits to clear certain trees. So yes its worth paying the fine. Like i said I'm sure u do a great job and take pride in what u do. I'm sure we need more people in your line of work governing that everyone takes the right measures. However if u think all multi million dollar developers care about wildlife like u or alot of other people on this site and that they don't have ways around things. Then u got your peepers closed

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[Peckoltia]

Sheldoncooper - I have to disagree with you for a couple of reasons. First, by the developer I assume you mean the principal of the project. This will be the mob who own the the parcel of land in the first place, that want to develop the land - be it for a subdivision for blocks or to build on it. A lot of what is being cleared around major cities is actually done by government departments (not all), be that Main Roads in WA or Roads and Maritimes Services (RMS in NSW), I can assure you that they are doing everything possible to ensure that contractors are not over clearing on their projects.

Approvals will first need to be sought depending on the parcel of land. A clearing permit will be issued and other approvals will be put in place (e.g; dewatering permits in WA etc). It is not the contractor doing the works who will seek this permit but rather the principal, because if these permits are not granted the project does not go ahead. The contractor is then given the clearing permit and the clearing takes place. The clearing permit will also have a list of requirements that need to be followed - trees to be retained, clearing boundaries and in WA often dieback requirements. It is generally quite rare that a parcel of land is given permission to be cleared while retaining a single or multiple trees within that area (on the clearing permit). It is usually the principal that wants individual trees retained as they usually hold some value to the scape of what is being built - usually a feature of sorts. If these trees are even damaged the contractor will often pay a fine.

If indeed there was a tree that could not be cleared (legally through the clearing permit) then it would be the contractor who clears this tree. Not the principal (developer). So who is then getting finned? I bet my bottom dollar it would be the contractor! They are the one who has over cleared. Over clearing is a serious offence. Purposely doing so is not smart business.

In terms of artefact finds - you are more then welcome to your opinion regarding 'nobody giving a stuff' about them. But the 'original land owners'/aboriginal people who have a connection with the land do in fact care. At times in my career I have struggled with the concept, but at the end of the day it means something to a group of people. It is also law and written into contracts that artefact finds are taken seriously, whether they be small seemingly inconspicuous rocks, scarred trees or even burial sites. It is something that is done because it means a lot to a group of people and it has no negative impact on my life or the way I go about my business, so why would I care or speak negatively about this activity? There are also a group of people who think very little of the environment and have the same opinion of a single tree, who cares if it is bowled over? Different people and groups of people put different values on different things in life.

At the end of the day there are cowboys in every industry - but from what I have seen over my career in construction I have not come across a single case where intentional over clearing has taken place. Not to say it has never happened, but it certainly isn't the norm. A lot more emphasis is being put on the environment as times goes on, and it is not good business to knowingly break the law in an environmental sense. The repercussions don't stop at the fine.

Anyway, I think I've put enough text on the screen. I have more fun things to do like deck out all my hatchling tubs!

Take it easy.

 

[pinefamily]

While there are checks and balances in place, and while there are people like yourself doing a great job in saving and relocating, overall though there isn't a great deal of care "at the top". You only have to look at the recent report into mines around Australia; only about a third of all obsolete mines have been revegetated, or returned to their original condition.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

This is really sad to read, the fallout of man's "progress"... I bought and moved into my new house in March last year, the house was built in 1975 on a 752m block in a quiet suburb in Toowoomba and the previous owners, an older couple had lived here from 1996-2016 and never had any dogs so their very mature garden was home to quite an array of wildlife seeking refuge from the various neighbours' roaming cats! I have a very switched on Jack Russell terrier and nothing evades his keen senses... Within weeks of moving in, he'd alerted me to the presence of a pair of Blue-tongues living in the garden adjacent to my outdoor alfresco dining area. Concerned that my JRT would injure them, I restrained him and set 2 rat cage traps baited with a piece of cold devon meat close to where my dog was fossicking for them, within half an hour I had them both caught...




I took the pair of blueys out to the front yard and released them back into the same garden, the dog doesn't have access to the front of my house so I'm hoping these guys made a new home out there. I haven't since been alerted again to their presence out the back where I removed them from so I hope they're doing well!

I then went to work removing the Indian Mynas with 2 traps I built myself. 64 last year in total and I'm not done yet.


And then all the roaming cats...

6 so far and almost had a 7th when my Jack Russell bailed a roaming cat up the Jacaranda in my back yard... It was hunting pale headed rosellas when my boy came to get me and tell me what he'd found!



I was busy devising a plan to dispatch it when the irresponsible idiot owner turned up and phoned the fire brigade!!
2 hours later and much to my disappointment, they turned up and brought the stupid thing down!


So if you thought this crap only happened in the movies.... What a waste of resources!

 

[danyjv]

This is really sad to read, the fallout of man's "progress"... I bought and moved into my new house in March last year, the house was built in 1975 on a 752m block in a quiet suburb in Toowoomba and the previous owners, an older couple had lived here from 1996-2016 and never had any dogs so their very mature garden was home to quite an array of wildlife seeking refuge from the various neighbours' roaming cats! I have a very switched on Jack Russell terrier and nothing evades his keen senses... Within weeks of moving in, he'd alerted me to the presence of a pair of Blue-tongues living in the garden adjacent to my outdoor alfresco dining area. Concerned that my JRT would injure them, I restrained him and set 2 rat cage traps baited with a piece of cold devon meat close to where my dog was fossicking for them, within half an hour I had them both caught...
View attachment 321893
View attachment 321894
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I took the pair of blueys out to the front yard and released them back into the same garden, the dog doesn't have access to the front of my house so I'm hoping these guys made a new home out there. I haven't since been alerted again to their presence out the back where I removed them from so I hope they're doing well!

I then went to work removing the Indian Mynas with 2 traps I built myself. 64 last year in total and I'm not done yet.
View attachment 321897
View attachment 321898
And then all the roaming cats...
View attachment 321899
6 so far and almost had a 7th when my Jack Russell bailed a roaming cat up the Jacaranda in my back yard... It was hunting pale headed rosellas when my boy came to get me and tell me what he'd found!
View attachment 321901
View attachment 321906
View attachment 321900
I was busy devising a plan to dispatch it when the irresponsible idiot owner turned up and phoned the fire brigade!!
2 hours later and much to my disappointment, they turned up and brought the stupid thing down!
View attachment 321902
View attachment 321903
So if you thought this crap only happened in the movies.... What a waste of resources!

That looks like a simple Indian myna trap. Could I get a few pics of it so I can make/copy it. I have at least 30 resident mynas here and I hate them.
Thanks mate


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[Flaviemys purvisi]

That looks like a simple Indian myna trap. Could I get a few pics of it so I can make/copy it. I have at least 30 resident mynas here and I hate them.
Thanks mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I downloaded the build plans off the net mate, I'll chase them up for you and link you to them here. I spent about $30 on the materials from Mitre 10 and had enough to build 2 traps myself whereas to buy 1 Peegees myna trap was like $260.

Here you go @danyjv - http://www.indianmynaaction.org.au/documents/PeeGeeTrapPlansrev June 13.pdf

I suggest you start feeding the mynas daily now and start building up some trust with them. When you're trap is complete, it'll be go time!!