If only waders had gaudy colours like a rainbow lorikeet, or baby-sized proportions like a koala. If only they had a cheery song like the butcherbird, or icon status like the kangaroo.
But no.
To most, they are distant brown specks on a humble mud flat, not worth a second glance nor thought.
The reality is that they are the best travellers on the entire planet. The birds right here in these photos taken at Wynnum on the weekend are great knots, and in four months time, these exact same birds will be nesting on upland tundra in north-east Russia.
If they're lucky, that is.
Because in the meantime, offleash dogs and beach walkers disturb them everyday, wasting the energy these birds need for a very long flight. The journey itself is perilous too: land reclamation in China and Korea is destroying the refuelling stops for these marathon athletes, and we have similar development plans here in Queensland.
The unfortunate truth is that waders have climbed up endangered species lists very rapidly in the past two decades. I don't know what is worse: a future where their absence is sorely felt, or not noticed at all.
Gosh that is so sad. Man is this earth's biggest enemy . Will we ever learn and be less greedy? I read you last post on your adventure in North Queensland. Certainly a wonderful trip you had.
ReplyDeleteWe will have to learn one day, Margaret, as our own survival depends on it! Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
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