Thinking of our Australian members

[SailBoat]

Did see this evening that North American, Wild Fire Fighters and their equipment have arrived or is arriving. Those arriving are highly skilled in Western America and Western Canadian Wild Fires.

Also, saw that the Australian National Guard has been called-up.

May the influx of support continue to arrive over the next days and weeks.

 

[Scott]

Does anyone have any ideas which species have been affected most (bird wise), that could be candidates for a club or personal breeding program?
Thanks
Noah Till

I think it'll be a while before a census of species can be taken to discove exactly how severe the effects hav been. I'm thinking it'll be the little passerines who are affected most, since their ranges are small and their ability to outfly the fires would be so much less.

On the other hand, who knows whether raptors like, say, the Wedge-tailed Eagle would have been able to fly ahead of the fire? Could be they succumb to oxygen starvation because of their larger size. Could be they're intelligent and able enough to escape. Only time will tell.

When the carnage ends and assessment is completed, dedicated aviculturists such as Trish and Noah will have a lifetime of opportunity to rehabilitate and reintroduce at-risk species. My heart aches for the hundreds of millions lost and desperate survivors.

 

[Betrisher]

I hope you all know that our *heartfelt* thanks go to our northern friends for sending aid at this critical time! Boots on the ground are our main weapon against the Fire and trained personnel is vital.

LOL! They'll get an eye-opener, I think. Fire in eucalypt woodland is not quite the same as in coniferous or evergreen forests. The trees are laden with flammable eucalyptus oil which causes them to explode once the canopy ignites. The explosions are moderate in younger trees, but when the Old Man trees go up, they really do it with a bang! Losing the Old Man trees is a terrible tragedy for our native birds.

A single River Red Gum tree can support thousands of individuals with shelter, food and nesting space. The loss of the old trees will mean losing hundreds of thousands of nest-hollows in which (we hope) subsequent generations will be hatched. I assume there'll be plans later down the track to erect man-made nest boxes for the birds to use.

Today, I saw a video of some of the aftermath areas. I'm not sharing it because my heart still feels sick at what I saw. Suffice it to say that animals have burned and died in their millions. We have a HUGE recovery ahead of us.

 

[Noahs_Birds]

Got Golden Shouldered Parrots on the list, as well as Red brows and Southern Black throats, any others would you think would be greatly affected
I can breed those 3 with ease, they aren't hard
Thanks
Noah Till

 

[Terry57]

Australian firefighters have come to help us, and I am so happy to see this being reciprocated.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/wyws-canadian-firefighters-battling-australias-fires-for-christmas-holidays

https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-firefighters-ready-to-return-favour-to-australia-1.4753510


In the midst of the horrific losses, it brings hope to see people pull together.

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you thank you thank you all our firefighters and those coming to our aid from overseas! I cannot imagine how hard this work is and in such frightening conditions and we owe these people a huge debt of gratitude. Yes Mr Boats our equivalent of the National Guard, the Army Reserve has been brought in with extra manpower, vehicles, supplies and materiel so they will bring much needed relief to the communities that have suffered such devastation.

I've located a more bird-specific organisation if anyone wishes to make a donation to cover the enormous cost of land rehabilitation. Much of their food sources and habitat has been destroyed and while the fire has taken so many lives, the destruction of habitat will take many more. Here's the link (hope it works!)

https://birdlife.org.au/current-appeal

Birdlife Australia is a wonderful organisation that buys up old rundown sheep and cattle stations and turns them into bird sanctuaries and they do a lot of excellent work trying to rehabilitate farmland into a more natural state. Their webpage also has a nice little online shop too

All of Australia thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for your care and concern during these frightening and unprecedented times!

 

[HannahandSunny]

Hi everyone.
Thankfully I’m in a ‘safe’ (for now) part of Victoria. Quite far away from the major fires. We’ve had a few in the area which had the potential to grow quickly, luckily after a few days they were under control.
My heart is breaking for all the animals which are going through such an awful, horrific and painful death and suffering. I can’t bare it. I just want to cry constantly, especially when watching the hundreds of Parrots on the farm at the moment, Galahs, yellow-tailed blacks, Corellas, sulphur cresteds, grass parrots, rosellas, parakeets and so many more, as well as the other birds such as the wrens, magpies, blackbirds, robins all which I see daily. The thought of all these happy birds in these fires is more than heartbreaking. All the juveniles and ones still in the nest just being swallowed by flames.. gosh.
And I of course care massively for the people who are losing lives and homes. I cannot imagine it.
Sorry to here that your Asthma is severe with the smoke Trish. I’m so glad you’re not any closer to the fires. I hope the conditions cool down for you and your feathered friends soon.

So much sorrow. But we must be strong, the people and animals need us to cope and help in as many ways possible.
The firefighters and wildlife rescuers are true heroes, What amazing people. I wish I could help somehow.

 

[Scott]

Thanks for checking in, Hannah. Dearly hope you remain safe from the vicious fires. Doing what you can in your little corner of the world is a huge help.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

I was wondering if You and Jon..and the horsey's were making out ok..dear lady friend! So happy to see your post and know you are surviving this horrific fight/fright with Mother Nature..I pray that Sunny and his "family" find safe refuge :19:


Jim

 

[Terry57]

Hannah, I am so happy you guys are okay! Thank you for letting us know!

I emailed Debbie (Ellie777Australia) to see how she is doing, and she wanted me to let everyone know so I am including her emails. I'm so glad they are all safe, but am heartbroken at what they have lost.

This was the first:

"Thank you for your concerns regarding our safety. We are safe at an evacuation centre in Bega, NSW. Our home was burnt in the fire storm that hit Kiah past few days. Bertie, Ellie and all of us are safe. We even managed to rescue our 10 chooks (chickens). Currently homeless and waiting for ok to return and see what is left. Thank you for your prayers."

This was the next:

"Hi Terry,


Miss you all so very much...we were allowed to leave evacuation centre this afternoon and just arrived at a friends house to regroup and have a hot shower. Forgotten what this has been like as we have been evacuated since NYE 9am. Bertie and Ellie have been real troopers. Feathers full of fire ash but Jesus kept us safe and kept their lungs ok despite the awful air quality. Can't express how terrible the experience. Only so eternally grateful that we are alive.

Please share with our PF friends etc on our behalf. We have been more than busy than with move. Fire season came quickly as you know with our Stanthorpe fire so we have been doing bush fire prep since then. Basically why we have been so absent because we have been doing bush fire prep to save our lives as well as trying to live. Our dwelling area was a fire trap big time. Uncleared bush in forestry zone, wooden dwellings and now a dry river bed because of the drought.

I won’t have time to be back to PF but will keep you in the loop when we have communication capability and time. Hope it isn’t time spent trying to save our lives any more because I would not want anyone to have a week like this!

Love you all, happy new year, belated merry Christmas. Hope all is well with you and PF friends…miss you greatly…please understand…we will be back soon,

Hugs

Us plus Ellie, Bertie, and Bella their protector (brown lab)"

 

[Rozalka]

[emoji50][emoji26] once time I was thinking what's happened because I noticed her absent for awhile... I don't know what to say about this horror[emoji26]

Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka

 

[LaManuka]

[emoji50][emoji26] once time I was thinking what's happened because I noticed her absent for awhile... I don't know what to say about this horror[emoji26]

Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka

Neither do we Rozalka, neither do we :smile016:

 

[Tami2]

[emoji50][emoji26] once time I was thinking what's happened because I noticed her absent for awhile... I don't know what to say about this horror[emoji26]

Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka

Neither do we Rozalka, neither do we :smile016:

None of us do, it is unbelievable. I can't read the stories & see the images without tears filling up in my eyes. Absolutely heartbreaking!!
Continued Prayers for All!!

 

[Noahs_Birds]

When you see a struggling animal in these fires, its eyes look right into your soul and you feel shocked and speechless for the Trauma it has endured
A Galah made its way out to our property, it has some of its feather burnt and its feet looked like they were in pain, and the eyes look through you in fear and terror, and when you make the kind act of putting a tray of seed and water out for it, they look at you in a way that cannot be described, but if they speak they certainly would be thankful.
Its those kind acts that might save an individual animal, one by one, but its a long recovery program that everyone needs to get involved in, no matter what walk of life or country you are from
Through ignorance, species will slip under the radar and you might be wondering 'I wonder where that pretty bird that used to hang around dissapeared to' in ten years time
I don't want to hear of another extinction, nobody does, but we all need to make the effort to support the animals, as sitting back thinking 'Someone will save them', does not keep a species alive
Its the wider community that saves species, not the zoo's, and especially not the bunch of peanuts we call a Government

 

[LaManuka]

You are so right Noah! And thank God Debbie and her family are safe!

Recovery from this thing will take years for the people affected, and that’s hoping something like this doesn’t happen again. As for our wildlife I cannot even bear to think about their suffering. Given the indisputable environmental changes we are experiencing it’s highly likely we may have this same conversation again next summer (but I am very happy to be wrong about this!)

Noah I was going to call our political “leaders” a bunch of muppets but that would be insulting to muppets. Peanuts is much more appropriate.

 

[Scott]

When you see a struggling animal in these fires, its eyes look right into your soul and you feel shocked and speechless for the Trauma it has endured
A Galah made its way out to our property, it has some of its feather burnt and its feet looked like they were in pain, and the eyes look through you in fear and terror, and when you make the kind act of putting a tray of seed and water out for it, they look at you in a way that cannot be described, but if they speak they certainly would be thankful.
Its those kind acts that might save an individual animal, one by one, but its a long recovery program that everyone needs to get involved in, no matter what walk of life or country you are from
Through ignorance, species will slip under the radar and you might be wondering 'I wonder where that pretty bird that used to hang around dissapeared to' in ten years time
I don't want to hear of another extinction, nobody does, but we all need to make the effort to support the animals, as sitting back thinking 'Someone will save them', does not keep a species alive
Its the wider community that saves species, not the zoo's, and especially not the bunch of peanuts we call a Government

You are so right Noah! And thank God Debbie and her family are safe!

Recovery from this thing will take years for the people affected, and that’s hoping something like this doesn’t happen again. As for our wildlife I cannot even bear to think about their suffering. Given the indisputable environmental changes we are experiencing it’s highly likely we may have this same conversation again next summer (but I am very happy to be wrong about this!)

Noah I was going to call our political “leaders” a bunch of muppets but that would be insulting to muppets. Peanuts is much more appropriate.

You are both a magnificent credit to the spirit of Australia. I dearly hope news coverage has galvanized the citizenry of Planet Earth into action. The fires you experience will visit others across the globe unless we take steps to mitigate increasing temperatures and older methods of coexisting with nature. Sadly, governments have other priorities and care little about the welfare and plight of billions of animals.

 

[Noahs_Birds]

That Greta Thunberg is not giving any support, someone showed me a picture she posted and what she wrote, and I was ready to 'rip her a new one'!
She needs to start bloody donating instead of complaining, and actually giving answers instead of half arsee quotes and comments
She has a point in a way, but no real direction and action she is promoting, all words no stuff done
Then she of course blames it on climate change, now listen little Greta, we have them every year, its because of the combination of fire season, drought, and no back burning thats are the main causes of this mass animal and human murder
I bet she has never seen a real bush fire in her whole entire life

Oh boy, you should see some of the comments some smart Aussies left, they are priceless:03:

 

[Rozalka]

I know a side (unfortunetely in Czech) where are different parrot news including catastrophes like these fires which can decrease population. I was sure they will write something about it and wrote - Glossy black cockatoo, exactly subspecies halmaturinus is very endargered because of the fires.
I've just visited Wikipedia and there also is written about it:

In early 2020, during the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season, bushfire warnings were issued for the entirety of Kangaroo Island, giving rise to warnings from scientists that the continued viability of this subspecies in the wild might be doomed as its drooping she-oak food supply undergoes destruction by the fires. As of 6 January 2020, at least 170,000 hectares (one third of the island's area) had burnt. Occasional respites in the weather offer at least temporary relief from the bushfires; a full assessment of the status of the Kangaroo Island subspecies and its supporting ecosystem will take place after the ongoing bushfire crisis has passed. Reliable funding for the successful program to protect this subspecies - primarily from possum predation - ended several years ago.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossy_black_cockatoo)

 

[Terry57]

I edited my first post in this thread to add LaManuka's links to organizations for anyone interested in donating. I'll be happy to add any other links to organizations that anyone adds to this thread (GoFundMes will still not be allowed).

I want to add that everyone should do their own research when deciding where to donate.
I am adding the links as a member who wants to help make this information more easily available. I am not speaking for ParrotForums, but simply as a member.

 

[Noahs_Birds]

Everyone on this forum has a good heart, thank you on behalf of every Aussie human and animal