Mission Beach Cassowaries
  • ABOUT CASSOWARIES
    • Cassowary ID and tracking >
      • Sightings maps
    • World Cassowary Day 2015
  • NEWS
  • Information
    • Developments
    • Thorsborne Trail NOT FOR SALE >
      • MARGARET 'T' AO 1927-2018
    • Walking tracks
    • Birding
    • Lot 66/Garrett Corridor
    • Publications
    • Mission Beach Naturally >
      • Community Identity
    • Heritage
  • Photo Gallery
    • Fauna >
      • Cassowary
      • Birds
      • Mammals
      • Reptiles
    • Flora >
      • Flowers
      • Plants and trees
      • Fungi
    • Scenic
  • Contact
    • Privacy policy

News from Coquette Point / Nov 12

28/11/2011

 
Hunting dogs off leash in cassowary country
Hi all,

Oh how a beautiful day can suddenly turn sour. Yesterday afternoon I was busy picking papaws when I heard the sound of dogs, baying loudly and running, in the melaleuca and mangrove forest meters away from me. Only moments before cassowary chick ‘Don’ was checking out the pawpaw trees and vegetable garden behind me, I looked for him in a panic but could not see him.

 I heard other dogs barking crazily and ran for my camera and out onto the road. I saw two men with five ‘pig dogs’, two of the dogs running loose and chasing something on my land. I sang out that there were young cassowaries around and that they had no right to let their dogs loose on my property. The only response from the men  was their demand for me to stop taking photographs of them.
Pig dogs in World Heritage area
I pointed out the CCRC sign which shows dogs must be on a lead and they caught the dogs while still screaming at me to stop taking photos. They disappeared into the World Heritage Estate,{CCRC designated esplanade} with the dogs in toe. I sang out that there were cassowaries sitting on eggs and that Coquette Point was a nesting site for migratory waders but they ignored me. I heard the baying of the dogs as they walked through the rainforest. I walked into and searched the forest on my land where I had heard the dogs chasing ‘something’ but could not find any injured animal.

How is World Heritage Listing of this forest helping to protect the habitat of the special rainforest creatures that live on the Estate? Here at Coquette Point here is no sign to say that the area is part of the World Heritage Estate. The fact that CCRC gives tacit approval to people with dogs entering this area, ( their sign showing dogs must be on a lead) is an accident waiting to happen. A pack of five pig dogs, trained to hunt, could be devastating to the cassowary population of Coquette Point already under stress from TC’Yasi’. The dogs running across the rookery could likewise be fatal to the chicks. Dogs are not allowed in National Parks and there is no case for them being permitted in the World Heritage Estate, it’s about time the Wet Tropics Management Authority, WTMA, took a lead on protecting the integrity of their lands. If you agree please write to the WTMA and ask for dogs to be banned from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Estate and for them to provide signing and publicity advertising the regulation.

As a dog owner myself I feel the responsibility of protecting the wildlife on my property from my dogs. It is never easy and I think hard and long of the compromise I must make toward animal welfare for both wild and domestic animals.
Walking dog over rookery
I went for a walk out onto the beach on Tuesday at low tide and encounted a local Coquette Point resident with his dog as they were walking across the rookery.

On numerous occasions I have explained to this man, quietly and calmly, that this area is a breeding ground for the Little Tern and other migratory waders however he is now abusive to me and continues to walk his dog, without a lead, over the rookery.

As he approached the rookery I saw a number of birds taking flight. I did not identify them as I was gesturing to the man to go back and not walk in the area.

Soldier crabs and waders
Around on the front beach the little soldier crabs are emerging, only small as yet and not showing the tell-tale blue colour, however they are a feast for the waders.

Although the Soldier Crabs are not running on the long beach the amazing designs of their sand deposit covered every inch of the beach.

Picture

On a sand bar on the ocean front a colony of about 100 crested terns were resting. Other waders were with them.

Picture


The mangrove forest on the ocean side of Coquette Point continues to retreat and at this rate it will soon disappear. In many areas the forest in front of the dune vegetation has totally gone.

The little sunbirds continue to surprise me. For years I have watched them but obviously not looked with a photographer’s eye. This morning I heard the male sing to the female when she came off the nest.
Picture
His song was a long thrill. When she returned to the nest he displayed with tale fanning and wing lifting for some minutes. Each pose was held for at least 30 seconds as he spread his tail feathers and his wings and turned circles on a small branch. There was no vocalization during the solitary display.
Picture
Cassowary ‘Dad 2’ is still walking from house to house with his 12 month old chicks in toe. When I photographed them on Friday the chicks were opened mouthed and appeared stressed in the heat from the road.

The population of Major skinks appears to have increased. I see several every day, often sunning themselves on the road.  Also on the road the male and female turtle dove. The other two  males have left the nursery area.

Cheers for now,

Yvonne C.


Comments are closed.
    Mission Beach Cassowaries facebook page
    Follow the lives of individual cassowaries on facebook

    Picture
    Friends of Ninney Rise
    Ninney Rise
    - the inspiring
     conservation history of Mission Beach

    Lot 66
    a Mission Beach buyback success story
     


    Picture
    Russell Constable's blog is packed full of information about Ella Bay and region

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All
    Ash
    Birds
    Boat Bay
    Bush Tucker
    Butterflies
    Cassowaries
    Cassowary Coast
    Cca
    Coquette Point
    Cowley Beach
    Crocodiles
    Cyclones
    Cyclone Yasi
    Development
    Flowers
    Flying Foxes
    Frogs
    Fungi
    Insects
    Johnstone River
    Little Terns Nesting
    Mahogany Glider
    Mangrove Dieback
    Marine
    Mission Beach
    Port Hinchinbrook
    Rainforest Fruit
    Sediment Runnoff
    Snakes
    Spiders
    Threats
    Tourism
    Tully Heads
    Turtles
    Wildwatch
    W P S Q Tully Branch


© All content on this website (except where otherwise stated) is copyright Mission Beach Cassowaries All Rights Reserved If copying or publishing  content or information from this site please credit and link to Mission Beach Cassowaries Inc. website Except where otherwise credited, all photos on this website are copyright and must have permission to reproduce