MikePearsonandhiswifemannedtheCanadian

WPTstandthroughoutthesymposium.

raising,thesymposiumwasexcellent,showinghowthiscanbedonein anapparentlyeffortlessway.In fact,alot of thoughtwentintoit. Onthefirsteveningparrot-relateditems(suchasa$100goldcoinshowingtheBahamasAmazon,stainedglassparrots,beautifulrugsmadebyJacquieBlackburnandaporcelalllcockatoo)wereauctioned.Theproceeds,$2,645,wasdonatedtoagraduateawardin avianstudiesattheUniversityof Guelph,Ontario.MarkHagenhadgivensomeof the

mostsought-afteritems.Hiscompany,Rolf.C.Hagen,madeagenerousgesturein donatingtheentireproceedsfromthesalesofHagenproductsatthesymposiumtotheCanadianWorldParrotTrust.InthiswayCWPT'sfundswereswelledby $5,138!CWPT'sstandwasmannedbyMikePearsonandhiswifeSharon.TheyhadanattractivedisplayofT-shirts,videos,booksandotherproductsanddidwellonsalesandmembership.Twentyonenewmembersjollled,andthIrtyfivemembersrenewed,contributingtowardsatotalof$3,164takenonthebooth.

FIRSTCANADIANWESTPARROTSYMPOSIUMThefirstCanadianParrot

Symposium(West)in Victoria(BritishColumbia)will takeplacefromMay15-17.OverseasspeakersincludeCharlesMunnandRosemaryLow. ThevenueisDunsmuirLodge,sethighonthewoodedslopesof MountNewton,15milesof Victoria.It overlooksapanoramaof islands,mountainsandocean.Thelodgehasextensivehikingtrailsin anaturalwoodlandsetting.FurtherinformationcanbeobtainedfromRozWebb,502BroadwaySt.,Victoria,BC,CanadaV8z2EB,tel:250479~1183orfax:2504798078. It -,

<..\0l'RESS«,y' 1:1$ '; <6>-< 7..~ -Iif) ;<J

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CARL laNESMauritiusProgrammeDirector

THE MAURITIUS PROJECTFORESTRY QUARTERS. BLACK RIVER. MAURITIUS

DearMike

I wouldlike to thankyouandAudreyReynoldsandeveryoneatParadiseParkfor thesupportthattheyhavegivenusthisseasonandovertheyears,withoutwhichwecouldnothaveprogressednearlyasfar aswehavewiththeEchoParakeetproject.Thislastseasonhasbeenawatershedwith theparakeetworkandthiswasin nosmallpartduetothehelpwereceivedfromNick,KirstyJ andPete.Theyreallyareawinningcombination.Nick is anexcellentorganiserwhokeptcampworkingandorganisedandgreatlyreducedtheusualentropypresentinrunningafield camp,hetoola lot of theorganisationalburdenoff theshouldersof myselfandKirstyS.At theaviaries,KirstyJenkintooktotheworklike anoldhand,gotonverywell withAranxiaandhadawonderfultime.It is dueto theexcellentworkofAranxiaandKirstyJthatwesuccessfullyreared11outof 13young,andseveralof thesewererescuedbirdsfromfailingnests,andnotatall easyto rear.Petefittedintocamplife andhisnononsenseapproachandpracticalskills

wereappreciatedby all.Heorganisedoneof themostsuccessfulandenjoyableChristmasesI havehadhereandhisbutcheringskillscamein veryusefulwhilepreparingwild pig andvenisonfor Christmasdinner.Theyareawinningcombinationandworthahugeamountto theproject,andwewouldverymuchlike to seethemouthereagainasapartof theEchoParakeetteam.Thiswouldbeaveryusefulcontributionby theWorldParrotTrust/ParadisePark.

Thelastwild Echofledgedafewdaysago(27thJanuary)theseventhsuccessfullyfledgedfromsevennests.Thebestproductivityfromthewild birdsfor wellovertwentyyears.Youwill recallthatweattemptedadifferentmanagementstrategythisyeartohelpthewild birds.In thepastwehavetriedto maximiseproductivitybydoubleclutching.Thisdoesnotalwaysworkandif it doesit meansthattheyoungof thesecondbroodfledgeverylatein theseasonwhenthereisaveryrealrisk of themdyingduringcyclonicweather.I wasunhappythatasaresultof theseeggmanipulationsnotall pairsin thewild wererearingyoungthemselves.Asyouwill beawareit isveryimportantthatpairsreartheirownyoungsinceit helpsmaintainastablepairbondanddevelopagoodbreedingpair.Wehavealsonotedthatin thewild, chicksin broodsof twoor threedonotdoaswell assinglechicks.Sothisyearwe"downbrooded"all pairswith young.Welet themhatchabroodandthenharvestedallbutoneof theyoung.Theseharvestedyoungweretheneitherfosteredto pairsthathadnoyoung(dueto themfailingfor onereasonoranotherbutstill oninfertileor dummyeggs)or rearedin captivity.

In captivitywehaverearedelevenyoungfrombothcaptivebirdsandharvested/rescuedeggsandyoung.All oftheseareduefor releaseandthefirst groupof threeyoungweretakenupto campyesterdayafternoonandplacedin thereleaseaviary.WithinminutesthethreeEcho'sreleasedlastsummerflewin andlandedonthetopof theaviaryto meettheirnewfriends,with muchcallingbetweenthem.I haveheardthismorningthatthealreadyreleasedEcho'sarearoundmostof thetimetakinggreatinterestin thenewbirds.

Wehavehadtenof theelevenhand-rearedyoungbirdssexedandthereareeightfemales.Someoneis smilinguponus.Wehadoriginallyplannedto captureupsurplusreleasedmalebirds,sincethewild populationisskewedtowardsmalesandwewantedtobalancethesexesasbestwecould.Howeverthisis notanimmediateproblemandwewill leaveasmanyof thebirdsat libertyaspossible.Theotheryoungwill begoingupto theforestforreleaseoverthenextmonthor so.Wewill probablybekeepingthemin thereleasecagefor aweekor tendaysbeforereleaseandthenmonitoringthemintenselyfor amonth.Theearliestwearegoingto befinishedis goingtobelateApril. KirstySis returningto theUK attheendof themonthsincesheis totallywhackedandneedstherest.I will bestayingonuntil earlyMaytokeepeverythingtickingover.Thefirstreleaseof lastsummerhasbeenagreatsuccessandthethreebirdsarenowinteractingwith sub-adultwild onesandtheyhavebeenseengoingaroundin agroupof fouror five - thethreereleasedbirdswithoneor twowild ones.Wehavealsohadawildbirdfeedingatthesupplementalfoodhopperwith thereleasedbirds.

I will keepyouinformedasthereleasesprogress.

Bestwishes

CarlJones.

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