Call to minimise pesticide use
The coordinator of an animal care group at Brisbane Water Secondary College Umina Campus is asking local residents to minimise the use of pesticides after a number of birds were found dead at the school.
Coordinator of the school's Kids Who Are Carers group Ms Nerida Lewis said that, while test results had not yet come in, pesticide poisoning was the prime candidate.
A number of birds were found dead at the school at around the same time, including magpies, a noisy minor and an endangered bush stone curlew.
Ms Lewis said there were "natural alternatives" that could use to deter insects and pests in the home and garden.
"Every time you spray an insect, that insect is often weak and while dying is consumed by another insect," Ms Lewis said.
"Then that insect is eaten by something else, perhaps a bird.
"Organochloride poisoning and other such poisons can also be stored in the bird's body fat for some time and when these fats are used (when the food supply is low) the toxins are released into the body causing a slow death.
"In most cases there are natural alternatives to problems of insects and pests."
For example, snails could be discouraged with dried crushed eggshells, she said.
Ms Lewis said it was most sad and such a waste to see the newly-hatched bush-stone curlew die from suspected poisoning.
"The bush-stone curlew is listed as endangered and there is only another few on the Central Coast," Ms Lewis said.
"The birds have been banded and monitored while only one egg hatched this year and we had a beautiful long-legged baby.
"On October 28, the baby was found on the school oval struggling to get up and he was moved for safety reasons and monitored throughout the day.
"An animal carer arrived and examined the bird to find a paralysis tick under its neck.
"The tick was removed and the bird was taken into care but unfortunately, the bird died that night."
An autopsy will be conducted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to determine the cause of death, according to Ms Lewis.
"Most native birds have immunity to the paralysis tick and since the holidays we have found many dead birds.
"Speculation of poisoning is being considered and it is rather coincidental that we have found so many dead birds including magpies and a noisy minor bird in our school grounds.
"However, we have not used any pesticides or sprays at the school.
"The poison may be from someone else close by, where the birds perhaps visit or gather their food.
"Sometimes pesticides or weeding products are quite toxic to our wildlife which is why it is so important for us to minimise their use or not use them at all."
Newsletter, 25 Nov 2009
Nerida Lewis, BWSC Umina