tsheunglai

Dear all

When someone was using the sonic equipment at LV I was there. Paddyfield is man-introduced and
as it brings advantages and disadvantages. It seems a lttle odd that we need to put such extra-effort to drive away the munias there in order to preserve the seeds for other purposes.

Yellow-breasted buntings need to face competition as dictated by natural selection which is something
like God' decree. It is the whole ecosystems here and elsewhere that we need to conserve which mean to turn it back to as much akin to its pristine condition as possible, and paddyfields are doing the
least harm and outwardly bringing good to birds and especially migrants like yellow-breasted buntings.

Before we bring in other measures, please think about this. How do you know the yellow-breasted
buntings which come later need the rice seeds more than those which are reported to have been found
about the rice field on Thursday? How can you judge the fields will not provide enough for all birds, local as well as yellow-breasted buntings? How do you assess the harm done by the sharp noise to all
the birds nearby, locals as well as wild ones? I myself was upset a little bit when I heard the shrilling noise and saw the young man, turning on and off his machines, fun beaming all over his face. Conservation is a precarious business, needing great caution, the situation more all less like a medical surgeon operating on a patient. It is not a case for trial and error.

S L Tai

tsheunglai

Dear Vicky

I am happy that I at last know the name of one of the ladies who work hard for the Society.
Be reminded that being able to call someone by name is the first step to put us human beings within
friendly distance. That is the sole reason I put forward my opinion so strongly here and again
at the Strategic meeting, though at the latter occasion I was misunderstood by CY (we all addressed
Mr Lam Chiu Ying as such) and met with strong open rebuff.   

Now go back to the topic in question. Growing rice in Hong Kong is no long viable as a kind of economic
production which is a statement which probably sounds even platitudinous to many of our readers here. I know about the plight of Y-b Buntings from Simba's (whose full name is Simba Chan Shing-yin if my memory does not fail me)article in OBC's Fortail (Bulletin?). We owe the birds and
I must say all birds great debts for taking up as much as I think 99% of their living space (by living space I don't mean area in land alone). It is only a token step by letting them eat something nutritious as rice seeds within two small patches of land at LV.

We must be sincere to the fund managers the purpose of rice growing. They can't and can never expect
that rice-growing project yield anything near long-term sustainabilty. Organic farming of vegetables
seems to me one of the possible ways out. Again we need and should seek the fund managers' sympathy
and understanding. They must be patient. Let them see our survey data and the level of bio-diversity
we have raised.

By the way where is the society's conservation officer? He should be here to offer assistance and
pull together resources including the most important one which we call brains.

I hope I have at least showed concern about your problems in hand.

S L Tai

tsheunglai

Dear all

I wholly agree to witness a small 'cloud' of munias of nearly a hundred in no.(vision impact similar to see waders taking flight and fly together tight and fast) is a delightful sight for young minds when they go to LV. the mental impact thus created certainly has an educational value.

Take some pictures of the phenomenon and the fund managers would certainly be impressed.

S L Tai