The Dead Shearwaters

On the beaches from Port Fairy to Warrnambool thousands of Shearwaters lay dead They have slowly starved to death due to a lack of fish by those in the know said They cannot return to their nesting burrows their species may struggle to survive At the end of the long hot Summer less muttonbirds will be alive To see so many dead birds is a very sad sight indeed Next year to coastal South West Victoria less of them will return for to breed These Worldwide ocean travellers once in plentiful supply Are dwindling in numbers as the years go by Short tailed Shearwaters or muttonbirds for them another name To be long distance ocean wanderers their claim to bird fame Streamlined and dark brown in colour 'tis an amazing sight To see them touch the waves with their wings whilst in flight Born in burrows on islands they spend most of their lives at sea And that so many of their corpses are washed in on the beaches is so sad to see.