Letter from our vice chair re Red goshawk (our rarest raptor) and birdwatchers behaving badly
9 October, 2012
The Hon. Matthew Escott Conlan MLA
PO Box 8599, Alice Springs, NT 0871
[Copies to The Hon. Peter Chandler, the Hon. Bess Nungarrayi Price, and the Hon. Willem Rudolf Westra Van Holthe; Susan Fraser-Adams, Dr. Ronda Green, and Dr. Betty Weiler]
Dear Minister
I am a specialist birding guide working mainly with international markets, mostly American couples. I am also a PhD candidate, my topic being American birdwatchers who travel internationally, and vice-chair of Wildlife Tourism Australia. For some decades I have been taking clients to Mataranka, mostly to see Australia’s rarest bird of prey, a Red Goshawk. A pair nest on private property across the road from the Mataranka Cabins and Caravan Park.
Although the birds seem relatively unaffected by the attention paid to them I monitor my clients’ behaviour strictly. However, that is not always the case with other viewers who may be present in their dozens. While in Mataranka recently the proprietor of the Caravan Park told me that some birders, photographers and tour operators had behaved in ways that made them unwelcome. Some had climbed the fence into the private property and one, according to the proprietor, had even climbed the tree in which the bird nested.
On another occasion several other birders (thirty or forty according to the proprietor) had camped outside their property opposite the nesting tree. That year, according to the proprietor, the birds didn’t raise any young. She said that the police had been called on more than one occasion but had not attended.
Birdwatching tourism is a huge industry, and in the US and Canada it has been a mainstay for small towns in conjunction with cultural, historical and other tourism. But ‘twitchers’ like those mentioned above can wreck a local industry.
I emailed the Caravan Park proprietor suggesting that she and other residents take photos of miscreants that I could post to chatlines, and perhaps shame others into behaving properly. An example of such a posting is at http://g33k5p34k.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/birders-behaving-badly/. When I raised this issue on the Birding Australia chatline one birder told me that he had confronted a couple of photographers who had jumped the fence and positioned themselves between the female goshawk and her nest. I have asked that more birders intervene whenever they see such behaviour.
Another way of tackling such behaviour is for the tourism industry and authorities to target those with broader interests than ‘twitchers’, for example couples, who for reasons I don’t have space to go into here, tend to engage less in this sort of obsessive behaviour.
Yours sincerely
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
Hi Denise,
As the owners of the said property, please feel free to include us in any correspondance in relation to relation to persons behaving badly in or around our property in relationn to the Red Goshawk. As avid bird waters we take your allegations very seriously.
Thank You.
John and Nicola Clode
Hi John and Nicola
I’m really pleased to hear from you both, and thank you for taking the time to contact us. There’s a long sad history of a few birders doing the wrong thing. They’re certainly not in large numbers, but they ruin things for everybody, not least landowners and the birds they target.
If you do witness any birders or photographers behaving badly, please let both me and your local ranger know, with a description if possible of them and their vehicle. I’ll do my best to alert the birding community both here and internationally. My email address is .
Once again, thank you.
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
Sorry, John and Nicola
our chair had to approve my passing on the email address: it’s ;
Thanks
Denise L Goodfellow
Hi, this is the Chair, Ronda, but there must be something in WordPress that doesn’t allow emails to appear in these comments. If you go to the contact page and send me an email I can pass this on to Denise
Hi John and Nicola, I’ve just found your email and sent you Denise’s email
I also have had pleasure in observing the RG’s for the last 6 years and was dissappointed and perplexed not to see the activity this year. Denise’ letter explains the probable reasons. Although the most people I have ever encountered at the site observing has been 6 or so, I have just missed ‘bus loads’. I can’t believe that people would be so inconsiderate and will most definately keep and eye and ear out. I think it very important to adhere to guideline in ‘ethical birding’
Hi Mick
Good on you – with more of us acting on misbehaviour the better it’s going to be for the RG and the human residents of the area.
In response to my letters to NT Government ministers, I received a response from Eddie Webber, Regional Chief Ranger, NT Parks and Wildlife Commission, stating they would “continue to monitor the situation with an increased vigilance”. So keep your fingers crossed!
Kind regards
Denise L Goodfellow