Birds and bats challenge La Mercy plans Sophisticated radar monitors movements

LEONARD NEILL IT’S THE birds and the bats – not the bees – that have to be sorted out before any aircraft can fly in or out of KwaZulu Natal’s planned new La Mercy airport. The birds – two million of them – are a major hazard which is currently being monitored by the same radar system used by Nasa at the Kennedy Space Centre in the US. The seriousness of the situation prompted environmentalists to opt for the Merlin system which was introduced during space shuttle launches last year to monitor bird movements around the base. When the two million barn swallows, which roost in nearby reedbeds during summer months near La Mercy came to the notice of officials as a potential risk to aircraft, Airports Company SA called for help. The birds fly in after their southern migration from the northern European winter, circle about during the southern summer months and then depart in flocks as autumn arrives. Ron Merrit, the project leader, is providing Acsa with his findings, but full details are being kept under wraps until the last bird has flown northwards in a month or two’s time. Exactly what can be done in the face of one of nature’s great seasonal movements remains the interesting question. While the swallows are the main concern, they are not the only birds that will be in the air when aircraft are around. There are seven threatened red data species including storks, harriers and korhaan. And when night falls, the bats come out to play. These are not seen as a direct threat to aircraft, but instead are known to invade structures that are built in outlying areas. Developers have been cautioned they should take anti-bat measures when building the airport’s facilities. Bats are known to be quick to move into any new ‘home’ offered in this manner by man.