canberrabirds

The pre-hatching counting of chickens

To: <>
Subject: The pre-hatching counting of chickens
From: "Geoffrey Dabb" <>
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:15:10 +1000

wfhe wip.jpg

 

From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Sunday, 12 August 2007 3:04 PM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] The pre-hatching counting of chickens

 

I hope you wonder what that subject is about......

It is said that we should not count our chickens before they hatch. This is of course nothing more than an ancient metaphor for that you should not fill in your GBS Chart until the end of the subject week.

On Thursday p.m. I was looking at my friendly local oft-reported White-fronted Honeyeater (WFHO) and looked up to see large flock of Aust White Ibis flying high over, in westwards direction. They seemed to be making little progress with the wind blowing them back at about the same speed as their advance. I guessed about 20. I went to get my binoculars and as they spread out to a V formation allowing a count, it was clear there were at least 40, which I put on my chart, thinking that was likely to be the only obs of the species for the week. It also illustrated that first impression counts can often be wrong.

Yesterday I was again looking at my friendly local oft-reported WFHO and then went to hang up my washing. Whilst doing that, a large flock of Aust White Ibis flew over heading east (flying with the wind). As I already had my binoculars with me and they were spread out to in 2 V formations, it was fairly easy to count them as something between 70 and 80. Hence my comment about not filling in your GBS Chart until the end of the subject week. That is the way I usually do it. I'll now need to make the 40 into a 75.

I'd just finished hanging up my washing and Evan Beaver (plus companion) wandered down my driveway after arriving from Katoomba (NSW) to check out my friendly local oft-reported WFHO. I took them to the front of the house and he was still / again sitting on the same perch as ten minutes earlier.

He/she is here again today, through Sunday morning & afternoon, that is now 38 days straight.

Philip

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