november 18 - 24 | 2015
regional extra >>> 25,000 readers every week
north east
north east jobs www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
inside page 7
circulating in wangaratta, myrtleford, bright, mt beauty, beechworth, yackandandah, rutherglen, chiltern and districts
Conservation takes wing By KYLIE WILSON
COMMITTED TO CONSERVATION:
Graham Colson with one of the turquoise parrot nesting boxes located on his property near Wangaratta. PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
PETA
RSPCA
WITH
RIVER
FILM
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
PART 2
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EVER since boyhood, Graham Colson has been fascinated with the comings and goings of the turquoise parrots that frequent his home in the Warby Range, watching the brilliant flashes of colour as the flamboyantly hued little birds fly from place to place. These days, he is among a handful of farmers in the North East helping cement the colourful bird’s chances for survival into the future. His property is home to over 50 different nesting boxes, some of which are built using naturally hollowed wood and some of which are more traditional boxes, and many of them house birds as they attempt to nest and breed. Mr Colson said the property had attracted interest from people interested in studying and preserving the turquoise parrot for several decades, and added that while the birds are not yet endangered, numbers mean that the species is at risk if nothing is done to help them. He said that the parrots were an elusive bird who can take a while to get used to people, but once they were, they tolerated being observed and watched quite happily. “They’re very quiet little parrots,” he said. “You can get quite close if you’re careful. “When they fly, they flash their tail, and it’s a brilliant yellow.” Mr Colson said they enjoyed eating soft seeds, like heliotrope, or food such as St John’s Wort, cape seed leaves or small plants, and liked to eat in areas with short grass so that they can ensure safety from predators. He said that being involved in the project had been very enjoyable for him and he saw it as a way of giving back as a landowner. “It gives you a lot of enjoyment, and you can help the environment,” he said. continued page |
3
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