Wild Windellama
by Paul Alessi
October 2007
EEL FOUND DEAD
One of last months
features in Wild Windellama was about Eels and quite
coincidentally our neighbour
found this Long Finned Eel dead in the Nerrimunga Creek, it was
rather green, slimy and
smelly but didn't stop our youngest from retrieving him from the
water for the photo,
this Eel was 105 cm or 41 1/2 inches long and quite heavy but
still far short of the 3m monsters that
may lurk in the deepest waterholes. There was no obvious cause of
death.
OFF- FISHAL RESPONSE TO MY ENQUIRY ABOUT A FISHWAY FOR THE TALLOWA DAM
According to the Manager of Aquatic Rehabilitation at the Dept of Primary Industry ..
"regarding the fishway on Tallowa Dam, as I
understand the Sydney Catchment Authority
are in the middle of the tender process for the construction
contract. Under current planning, construction
is scheduled to commence this financial year".
Some inside sources
I spoke to reckon that the dam wall is just about to be raised in
height,
so I'm not so sure they will construct a fishway until the dam
wall is finished, stay tuned.
GREY SHRIKE THRUSH ARE BUSY AGAIN
Wild Windellama
October 2006 featured the Grey Shrike Thrush,
(Colluricincla harmonica) I managed to get this photo last week of a
Grey Shrike Thrush
that has made a home inside this hollow post, there is a neat
bark nest inside and 3 mottled eggs.
These birds have very melodic calls (as per their scientific
name) and are one of the sounds
of Spring in Windellama.
If you want to re- read any Wild Windellama articles they are all available online at
Koala Rescue
Mrs Wild Windellama
has a knack for spotting Koalas and she found this one (No 4 so
far)
crossing the road, unfortunately he was bumping into things and
is almost (or completely)
blind most likely from the disease Chlamydia. With help from
WIRES and NANA volunteers we
bundled him up and he was then taken to Goulburn for some medical
attention, National Parks
and Wildlife have been notified and they are assisiting where
they can but it looks like
he will be in veterinary care in Goulburn for some time and his
future after that is uncertain.
He is a male about 4 years old and has been nicknamed
"Dell" for Windellama.
"Dell"
has been DNA sampled and will no doubt help provide important
scientific data
on Shoalhaven Koalas as there are so few of them and they are
rarely seen let alone
physically examined, we have already established that his
favourite food is Scribbly Gum Leaves
and we have been taking him "meals on wheels" of these
leaves every few days cut from his own
patch of Windellama trees, alternate meals from Scribbly Gum
leaves on Rocky Hill in Goulburn
seem to be fairly popular with him too.
We hope Dell makes a speedy recovery however initial examination
suggests he has lost sight permanently in a least one eye. The
photo shows his best eye
but it too has been affected by the disease.
A special thanks to Patricia and Vanessa for their help with Dell.
Copyright Paul Alessi 2007