Wildlife are very busy at the moment and our WILVOS 5441 6200 Hotline is getting busier. People are also getting busy with removal of trees and burning of piles of branches. Unfortunately, little thought is given to the contents of the often well-hidden hollows, or nooks and crannies in the tree. Sadly, future generations of birds are just wiped out as the eggs don’t even get a chance to hatch. The trees come down, and the eggs, chicks, and other wildlife living there are either killed or injured. Some, not enough, have a lucky escape.
As well as the usual calls for orphaned and inured marsupials, the birds have begun nesting. One of our carers, who works in the wildlife field as well as being a WILVO volunteer, recently brought me some bird eggs. First trip there were six hopefully-fertile wood duck eggs. I find these birds intriguing, in that such little chicks have to ‘float’ down from the heights of a tree. Yet they land unharmed – ready to take on the world.
Shanna also brought lorikeet eggs, two of which showed as close to hatching, and others also showing promise to my inexperienced ‘candling’ eye. I was over the moon when two hatched out, and more have begun hatching since I passed the eggs onto another dedicated WILVO carer. Denise and her husband are addicted to watching the hatching process too! Their grandson thought they were little dinosaurs! Such tiny creatures to feed, but very energetic and enthusiastic about their special food. Once hatched, the chicks have to absorb the goodness of the egg yolk before our feeding process begins some hours later.
Members of the public make these miracles happen by phoning our Hotline when wildlife disasters occur. I love to see the genuine love and ever-growing awareness of our native animals by Sunshine Coast residents.
Donna Brennan Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc (WILVOS) PO Box 4805 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Q 4560 PH 5441 6200 www.wilvos.org.au