Number 47 - june 2014 newsletter of the native animal trust fund inc - Hunter Wildlife Rescue. EVENTS CALENDAR 1 AGM NOTICE 2 TRAINING CALENDAR 3 TOCAL FIELD DAYS REPORT 4, 5 RICHARDSON JANE COMES HOME 6 AGL DONATION, PHONIE STORY 7 POWERFUL OWLS, WHAT WAS IT? 8 NEWBY S NOTES 9 WHY DO WE DO IT? 10 MEMBER SUPPORT 11 CODE OF PRACTICE 12 UPCOMING EVENTS MONTH EVENT DATE DETAILS JUNE JULY AUGUST MC Meeting Monday 2 Wetlands Centre Basic Rescue Training Sunday 8 CANCELLED See Training Calender on Page 3 Postal Votes Closing Date Tuesday 10 CANCELLED For AGM Wombat Training Sunday 15 See Training Calender on Page 3 Annual General Meeting Tuesday 17 7pm, Wetlands Centre Raptor Training Sat 28 & Sun 29 See Training Calender on Page 3 Possum & Glider Sunday 20 See Training Calender on Page 3 MC Meeting Monday 7 Wetlands Centre Basic Rescue Training Saturday 2 See Training Calender on Page 3 CHANGES TO PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DATES EVENT OLD DATE NEW DATE DETAILS Flying Fox Training August 10 September 28 See Training Calender on Page 3
HUNTER WILDLIFE RESCUE NATIVE ANIMAL TRUST FUND INC
NB - NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR EACH COURSE, Thank You DATE, TIME & VENUE COURSE DETAILS LUNCH JUNE SUNDAY 15th 9.00am to 3.00 pm Wetlands Centre, Shortland Conference Room (downstairs) JUNE (Revised date) SAT 28th & SUN 29th * 9.00am to 3.00 pm Wetlands Centre, Shortland Conference Room (downstairs) WOMBAT TRAINING Presented by Shirley Lack Rescue, hand rearing joeys and problems encountered in hand rearing, adult care and treatment, husbandry, feeding, housing and release. For beginners and advanced members. $22 PER PERSON REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 10TH JUNE RAPTOR TRAINING Presented by Chris Lloyd Covers rescue, hand rearing chicks and problems we meet in hand rearing, adult care and treatment, husbandry, feeding, housing and release. *Must attend both days to receive accreditation $22 PER PERSON COVERS BOTH DAYS REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 20TH JUNE BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. JULY SUNDAY 20th 9.00am to 3.00 pm Wetlands Centre, Shortland Conference Room (downstairs) SEPTEMBER SAT 13th & SUN 14th * 8.30am to 4.00 pm VRA Centre 55 South Ave, Cessnock (across from Cessnock TAFE) POSSUM & GLIDER TRAINING Presented by Audrey Koosmen Course will cover rescue, hand rearing, feeding, diet, husbandry, housing, housing, release. For beginners and advanced members. $22 PER PERSON REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 15 TH JULY SNAKE HANDLING Presented by John Mostyn Venomous and non Venomous snakes and reptiles Handling Course is for beginners and advanced rescuers. Snake Hoop Bags and Hooks will be on sale on day at cost of $55 and books on reptiles will also be on sale over the weekend. *Must attend both days to receive accreditation $22 PER PERSON COVERS BOTH DAYS REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 8 TH SEPTEMBER Lunch cost for both days is $10 per person, please send in with your registration fee if you wish to order lunch BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. Catering for weekend OR you can bring your own. Please advise if Special Dietary needs SEPTEMBER SUNDAY 28th 9.00am to 3.00 pm (Revised date) Wetlands Centre, Shortland Conference Room (downstairs) FLYING FOXES AND MICROBATS Presented by NATF Bat Team Rescue, hand rearing, injuries, illness, housing of young and adults, release. For beginners and advanced members. $22 PER PERSON REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 22ND SEPTEMBER BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. OCTOBER SATURDAY 11th 9.00am to 3.00 pm (Revised date) Wetlands Centre, Shortland Conference Room (downstairs) CARE, TREATMENT & MANAGEMENT OF SICK, INJURED AND DISEASED REPTILES Presented by Dr David Vella The course is designed for beginners as well as advanced members covering diseases and illness found in reptiles, also injures that are seen, housing of sick and injured reptiles, treatment of such animals. It is many years since NATF has held such a course so all members approved to hold and rehab reptiles should please attended this course to renew your skills. $22 PER PERSON REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 6 TH OCT BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. JUNE Sunday 8th AUGUST Saturday 2nd OCTOBER Saturday 4th DECEMBER Saturday 6th INTRODUCTORY & BASIC RESCUE COURSES An interesting and informative one day course equipping members with the skills needed to safely rescue and transport a wide range of wildlife. New Members - membership fee covers the cost of this course, otherwise $22 PER PERSON REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 1 week prior to Course Date BYO lunch OR buy from the Spoonbill Café on site. Morning and afternoon tea provided. Revised Training Calendar current at time of publication
From Audrey Koosman We again had three wonderful days at Tocal Field Days educating members of the public about the plight of our wildlife and the work NATF does in rescuing, caring and releasing wildlife across the areas of the Hunter. The weather this year was a little wild one day and kept many away but we still managed to hand out much of our material which was well recieved; the fruit tree netting hand out and our baby bird flyer were very popular with the people attending. Our kids education table again this year was a hit with everyone young and old, this year we made Echidnas as well as Owls and we are looking at new creatures for next year for the table. People were fascinated to see our educational flying foxes and the snake on display. Many came to stall not feeling so well about both species and left with a different thought after seeing them close up, they were indeed the stars of our stall. Members spent hours speaking to people, giving advice and explaining the need to protect our wildlife. I would like to thank everyone who gave their time to help on the NATF stall over the three days - the members who helped set up and pack up the stall and those who come along for roster shifts to help behind the stall - thank you all so much, you made our stall a great success I am so very proud to announce NATF won the overall 2014 Best Exhibit Information and Education award for our stall at the field day event which was very exciting. Members Anne Williams, Bev Marsh and Judy Hopper with education wildlife The judging took place on Friday and I proudly received the award on behalf of NATF on Saturday and attended a luncheon with Chair of Tocal Field Days, Dr Archer AM and other winners on Sunday.
NATF was well praised for its great work by Dr Archer and all who attended the luncheon. We were thanked for our wonderful work and received special praise for work in times of disasters as well as our daily work assisting native wildlife. Again thank you all who attended and helped make this year such a success, I hope I can be around and able to coordinate this wonderful event next year for NATF. Regards, Audrey Koosmen. Images this page: Top: President Audrey Koosmen and Tasmanian friend Middle: NATF s Best Exhibit Award Below, Left: Member Kim Wright assisting young rescuers and carers of the future on the kids table Below, Right: Judth Hopper and Anne Williams
Congratulations to the Building Working Party and Jill Dean for their successful grant submission to AGL s Small Community Grants Program! NATF will receive just over $3200.00 to support the organization in developing a state of the art Education and Training facility in the newly anticipated building. The grant will fund the purchase of a large Smart TV that, with an adaptor, can be wirelessly connected to a computer. The large screen will enable participants clear view of any documentation held on the computer including multiple access to PowerPoint training notes, education presentations and community education slides of NATF rescue and rehabilitation activities. Access to wireless replaces the need for a data projector and will be more versatile as no unnecessary or complicated set-up is required. This will minimise complications such as shut down due to over heating during extended usage, costly bulb replacements and will not obstruct participants viewing of the screen. Introduction of the Smart TV will help NATF Inc Hunter Wildlife Rescue to realise two of its major objectives - to educate the community in understanding the importance of protecting the environment and supporting injured, orphaned, lost or distressed native fauna requiring care, and offer the highest quality instruction to members in matters and techniques relating to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife. One of dedicated Phonie and accomplished multi-tasker, Rachel King s phone shift rescues had an extra surprise and a happy ending... Shortly after nightfall I met a lady at a McDonalds halfway between her place and my place and she handed over a log in a shoe box, covered with a hand towel. The log was from a tree cut down at their house 4 days ago and had been carried around enthusiastically by their fox terrier over several days.they finally took the log off the dog and were about to throw it into the fire when they saw a tiny leg poking out. They thought it was a baby ringtail possum and called Hunter Wildlife Rescue. I was transferring it to a possum carer but a few minutes after I drove out of Mc- Donalds I heard a strange ticking noise behind me. I pulled over and directly above me was a bat-looking little glider stuck to the ceiling of the car. I plucked it off and shoved it down my shirt for the 20 minutes drive to the possum carers house, who identified it as a feather tail glider; her husband had a good look inside the log and saw another one in there too! We got glider expert Jill Dean on the phone and she told us to take them to Glenrock bush near our house (where there are apparently quite a few colonies of them) and to put the log in a tree with the gliders inside - so Jamie and I went for a night time bush walk and Jamie got up on his tippy toes and crammed it in a high tree. NATF would like to thank AGL and its Small Community Grants Program for supporting this initiative. Above: The building that will house NATF/Hunter Wildlife Rescue s new Education and Training facilities including the new smart TV purchased through AGL s Small Community Grants Program. Robyn Leggett Recently rescued Feathertailed Gliders
From Josey Sharrad, IFAW It was seven months ago that the devastating bushfires hit the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Trudging through the ashen smoking ground I joined a line of volunteers from Native Animal Trust Fund, Hunter Koala and WINC on a black walk of the fire-ground to search for wildlife survivors. There were few to be found the fire was so ferocious it left a trail of charred destruction in its wake. One of the lucky survivors was a koala nicknamed Richardson Jane, found by a WINC rescuer, climbing high in a tree on Richardson Road, swinging from the trees like Tarzan s Jane. She didn t want to come down and it took a long time to rescue her. She had severe burns to her paws and nose and was badly dehydrated. Rushed to local Noah s ark vets she was treated for her burns and put on a drip to rehydrate her. IFAW assisted with her medical treatment and she then went to koala carer Sue Swain who gave her round the clock intensive care. Jane then moved onto Port Macquarie s Koala Hospital where she spent the last few months recuperating in the five star facilities, being cared for by a dedicated team of volunteers. True to her name, she has spent ninety-nine percent of her time here high in the tree tops. She has made a remarkable recovery and now she is ready to go home. Today I m at the hospital with Hunter Koala volunteer Loreto Gray to take Jane back home. We ease her into a cage with some leaf and drape a towel over her so she feels secure. We then make the two hour journey back to her home in Port Stephens. As we drive through the forest the tree trunks are still blackened from the fire but the tops are bursting with new green leaves. Loreto has found the perfect tree for her release a huge old swamp mahogany with lots of branches for her to sit on and enough leaf to feed her for a few days. As we open the basket she climbs out, sniffing the air in recognition before digging her claws into blackened bark and easing herself slowly up the huge tree trunk. She settles on a branch for a while, looking down at us. Casting us a last goodbye glance, she continues her climb higher and higher into the tree tops. She has come home. --JS Posted: Fri, 9th May 2014 http://www.ifaw.org/ australia/news/bushfire-koala-richardson-jane-returns-home For more on Richardson Jane s recovery story click on the link below. http://www.hunterkoala.com/richardson-jane.html
Congratulations to Audrey Koosmen and Teresa Purnell, winners of the guessing competition. The tangled mess is a nest which had fallen from a large eucalypt some time ago. All that was left was hundreds of pieces of woven wire and a few bits of plastic. Chicken wire, electric wire, you name it. Imagine how easy it is for the baby maggies to get trapped in the home. I once rescued a magpie that had become tied to the nest by nylon rope used by its parents in home construction. From WPSA Australian Wildife E-News Bulletin 126 Submitted by Charmian Eckersley A powerful owl swoops down in the dark of night to clutch a ringtail possum in its talons. It s dinnertime for the owl and curtains for the possum. They eat a possum a night, Coal Point Progress Association president Suzanne Pritchard said of the birds, which she described as magnificent creatures. They re a nice, friendly method of possum control. A family of these birds live at Kilaben Bay and inhabit the Coal Point peninsula. One plucked a possum out of a tree in my garden one night,, Ms Pritchard said. It s an interesting phenomenon to hear a screeching possum flying off into the distance. The screech of fear is universal. Birdlife Australia said the birds roost by day, perched in the dense shade of a tree often with the previous night s prey held in their talons. The organisation held a talk on its Powerful Owl project at Coal Point Progress Hall on Sunday. It is monitoring the owls from Newcastle to Wollongong and recording breeding sites in urban areas. The aim is to raise awareness about the owl s plight and seek to protect it. Powerful Owls are listed as vulnerable in NSW, with 2000 pairs estimated to remain in the state. Birdlife Australia project officer David Bain said four successful breeding territories were confirmed in the Newcastle-Central Coast area last year. Of these, three nest trees were spotted and six chicks successfully fledged. Another six territories were discovered, with no breeding recorded. If we can find breeding sites, we can have better management to protect those trees and go a long way towards protecting the bird. he said. Mr Bain said some owls use the same nest tree for 10 to 20 years.he said the owls were considered an iconic species for urban conservation, and a major threat was collisions with cars, with up to 12 percent of the population killed in this way each year. Report sightings powerfulowl@birdlife.org.au
T owels, pillow cases, netting, gloves, pouches, boxes and cages of different shapes and sizes: check. NATF notes, phone numbers: check. So, pulling up my big girl panties, I m off on my first rescue. And breathe A magpie with a damaged wing how hard could that be? If it can t fly away, this should be a nice easy introduction to A Day in the Life of a Wildlife Rescue Volunteer. Yeah, right! Said magpie was large, noisy and extremely adept at hopping great distances. For over an hour we covered several streets, two car wrecks, log piles, various front gardens and every shed known to the shady suburbs (and one or two unknown, where I didn t hang about.) Then my second call came: a pigeon with a damaged wing. By now the mocking magpie had taken refuge beneath someone s house. My pot-holing days are well and truly over, so, I decided to leave the magpie where it was and attend to the pigeon. I ll come back later. When I reached the address of my second caller, the injured pigeon was already in a box (oh, joy!) and not interested in any hide-and-seek (phew!) Sadly, it wasn t interested in anything and was euthanized at the vet s. Back to magpie country! Neighbours looked on at the curious sight of me, a long-haired dumpy middle-aged pom, creeping through their gardens for no apparent reason as the sun went down. That ll be right Then, lo and behold, the armchair experts came to help! Wafts of whisky and wine flavoured the air - now full of helpful suggestions. OK, so I couldn t have caught it without them (and a three-sided porch where the magpie was eventually cornered.) Sorry to report that this bird didn t make it either. Apparently, it had been there for a week or so and was being fed by one of the afore-mentioned experts. Unfortunately, the injury to the poor bird s wing had by this time set and was beyond repair. Two down. Bugger. It s a Tawny Frogmouth Owl, hanging on to the mail box. Perhaps they were filming a Harry Potter film? A Tawny Frogmouth is not an owl: that was the first thing I read about it before driving to the rescue. This one really made me feel helpless. There it was, hunched and bedraggled, leaning wearily on someone s mailbox. It didn t bat an eyelid as I caught it oh-so-gently in a towel. Placed next to the warm wheat bag in my carry cage, I drove poor Tawny straight to the emergency vet to put it out of its misery. Shoes, make-up, dress: check! Mother s Day lunch treat with my son. Wildlife Rescue gear in the car, just in case A pigeon messaged us as we arrived at the restaurant. It had been put in a box and covered with a towel, though, and could wait until we d had lunch! This little one had a happier outcome and was returned to its home the following day. Yippee, a survivor! My first possum callout was, shall we say, unusual? Tangled in trampoline netting, about 10 off the ground. Funny that. Well, the circus was in town this week, perhaps this possum was a dreamer, fulfilling its desire for the Big Top at 2am. Stepladder: check. Seriously, have you ever attempted to balance on the top rung of a wonky ladder and tried to catch a performing possum that s body-popping on a moving surface? It s like juggling jelly at the same time as riding a unicycle. Oh, and did I mention the 3 dogs, 1 cat, 2 kids and mother looking on as she filmed my every move? No, I didn t, for very good reason! More next month from the Newby s Notes. Good luck, my fellow rescuers!
From Lisa Lowe It s a common question for NATF members.. More frequently for me when I m sitting on the edge of my bed at 2.00am trying to wake up so I don t feed my babies a beer instead of milk! We all know the answer. For the love of wildlife and the respect for their vulnerability. I am often in awe of how much most NATF members will do anything for their fellow carers and rescuers. Help is only a phone call away and there is no judgement or complaints if you have made a booboo just good advice and a chuckle. Is this a baby wombat I asked Elizabeth a few years ago? I sent a photo and received the reply that it was a baby hare! I was taken through the steps of recognizing these poor tiny babies and now I m less of a dork. I think she is still giggling. Everyone give me an oh yeh..! The weird looks while picking browse...the helpful hints from residents as you are crash tackling magpies who 10 seconds ago could walk but now can RUN...hiding possum boxes in the bush so they can t be seen and getting eaten by spit fires and ants... chasing flat flies around your head so they don t get in your hair. Heading off down to the shops not noticing you have handraising mix or possum poo down the front of your shirt...nothing like getting gum nuts down the old bra! Hanging out critter towels, clean but with funny stains on them, reassuring the neighbors that they aren t the bath towels...buying that marked down bag of fruit and looking like a bag lady. Reorganising the whole family so you can go to a meeting or spend all day at a workshop. Holding a possums hand and rubbing their head till the meds take all the pain away forever. Mum, will you please put the browse in the boot, I m covered in spiders! Driving an hour to pick up a big Kookaburra to find it s a baby feral dove... buying food for your animals before you look after yourself...admiring and loving the support of your family and friends. Not being worried that your guests might think the possum poo on the floor is cockroach poop! Watching members you have mentored teach new members Yoda style! Appreciating the knitted pouches made by little old ladies...getting calls for a Brushtail on the road with a baby in it s pouch only to find it the poor thing is a boy and has a more than ample pair of fuzzies! Not worrying about the looks when you pick up cages from road side pickups... the wonderful, heart warming thank you from a carer or rescuer you have just helped...the loss. but knowing you did all you can with the knowledge you have and learn from each animal. Cuddling a dying animal in your arms, wrapped like a precious baby till they go to that big wild. Telling the little 4 year old standing at the front door with a dead baby bird in a shoe box with the birds new name, flowers, love hearts and windows cut out so it can breathe that it will be fine! Thank you for looking after the birdy. Having more animal gear in your car than human...babysitting duty. Just to name a few, I m sure you can add hundreds more but the Wildside is not WAR and PEACE! That book made me cry too. We all need to work as a big family and help each other and learn every day without fear of being judged. I have wanted to give up a few times when totally disillusioned by events but I can t imagine my life without these miracles of Nature. My 4 boys have grown up with them and now my Grandbaby can be the next caring generation.
New Carers and Rescuers - contact your Food Bank Coordinator to discuss your wildlife feeding needs! From March this year the subsidy was increased to 50% and fish for seabirds as well as mealworms and crickets were added to the usual range of milks, mixes and mice! Lectade, Spark and other first aid and rehab items may also be available - check with your Foodbank Coordinator. Don t forget to keep your Fauna Data up to date to be able to access the Foodbank! Lisa Lowe Valentine 0402 852 931 Biolac-m100 for possums only Biolac GOS M100 for unfurred joeys Rescuers and transporters sometimes face a financial burden in their commitment to help injured and orphaned wildlife in the service of Hunter Wildlife Rescue. NATF has made a commitment to our volunteers to assist them where needed by reimbursing a percentage of fuel costs. While the Management Committee asks members who struggle to meet their commitments to take advantage of this offer, we at the same time ask members to realise that as an organisation that relies on public donations to operate we cannot accept unreasonable fuel claims as this will quickly exhaust available funds. Each claim will be evaluated on its merits and we will endeavour to assist members when appropriate. For more information and to download a claim form go to the website (or lick on the link below), log in to the Member Login page and click on Member Info. http://www.hunterwildlife.org.au/member-login/ Charmian Eckersley Eraring 0407 730 410 Insectivore; Lorikeet mix; Granivore mix; Passwell Hand-rearing food; etc. Jan Hughes Cessnock 4998 1085 Wombaroo Kangaroo Milk Judy Valler Medowie 0419 484 114 Wombaroo Kangaroo & Possum milk; lorikeet mix, Granivore Mix, Passwell Bird Hand Rearing food, Insectivore Anne Williams Medowie 0498 040 541 Divetelac; High Protein Mix Every time we conduct a rescue or act in our capacity as a NATF member we have the opportunity to educate the public on wildlife and also about NATF/Hunter Widlife Rescue. Jan Hughes at Cessnock is our Uniform Coordinator so to acquire uniform items that will help promote our organization to the public please contact Jan to discuss your needs. Jan Hughes Cessnock 4998 1085 More info on uniforms in the next issue of Wildside. Frozen rats and mice are provided by the University of Newcastle. There is only one Coordinator for collection/liaison with the UoN. Catherine Wroe Coal Point 0412 093 030
This excerpt from the Code of Practice, under which we are all required to work, is included here to assist Members to become acquainted with its requirements, breaking down what is a large, daunting document into digestable sections. 12. Release considerations 12.1. Timing of release Objectives To ensure that fauna is released as soon as it is ready and at a time that minimises stress and maximises its chances of survival in its natural habitat. 12.1.1. Standards 12.1.1.1. Once fauna is deemed ready for release, it must be released as soon as conditions are suitable (see below for what suitable conditions are). 12.1.1.2. Fauna must be released at a time of year that facilitates survival and reintegration into the wild population. For example: reptiles must be released during the warmer months (e.g. spring and summer) juvenile animals must be released during their natural dispersal period insectivorous species must be released during periods of high insect abundance (e.g. spring and summer) migratory species must be released at least one month prior to their typical departure period. 12.1.1.3. Fauna must be released when weather conditions encourage high activity levels (e.g. reptiles must be released on warm days or when water temperatures are high). Release during extremes of temperature and storms must be avoided. 12.1.1.4. Fauna must be released at a time of day that enables it to immediately investigate its environment. The optimal release time for most diurnal animals is approximately one hour after dawn and for most nocturnal animals is approximately one hour after dusk. 12.1.2. Guidelines 12.1.2.1. Territorial species may have occupied a territory prior to coming into care. Such species should be released before their territory is likely to be re-occupied. The average time for this to occur varies between species. 12.1.2.2. If a social species is absent from its family group for too long it may not be recognised when it returns and be treated as an intruder (i.e. attacked). Such species should be released before their group is likely to forget them. The average time for this to occur varies between species.
Download a Membership form from http://www.hunterwildlife.org.au/membership/ Then complete and email to membership@hunterwildlife.org.au Or, email: Yvonne Hawkins (Membership Officer) membership@hunterwildlife.org.au Or, Phone: Hunter Wildlife Rescue Hotline 0418 628 483 (0418 NATIVE) Please visit our website at http://www.hunterwildlife.org.au/ Cover Banner Photo - Kath Dalton P4,5 Tocal images, Jill Dean, Audrey Koosmen, Linda Marr P8, Magpie Nest, Charmian Eckersley P6 Feathertail glider images, Robyn Leggett, Linda Marr P10 Wildlife images, Jill Dean Back page Sandy juvenile BT possum in care of Kim Wright, photo Linda Marr and Kim Wright Hi Members Please feel welcome to share your wildlife experiences by submitting articles of interest to your fellow Carers, Rescuers, Phonies and other Members as well as photos of your wildlife in care. Please submit articles by 20th of each month for proposed publication on or before the first of the following month. Articles in either Word document, pdf format or as an email are fine and images as jpgs attached to emails are great (please avoid embedding in a Word document if you can, thanks!). I m always happy to discuss any constructive recommendations that any Member may have so please feel welcome to contact me. Looking forward to contributing together to the wellbeing of our unique wildlife, Linda Marr Mobile 0422 640 100 Home 49 422 052 E: lindasletterbox@hotmail.com