canberrabirds

Unknown unknowns

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Subject: Unknown unknowns
From: John Brannan <>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 17:43:06 +1000
I visited a friend's place in Kaleen on Sunday (not a birdo), and my eye was caught by the large flock of sparrows (c.20) in his back garden. The attraction was a large feeding tray full of budgie seed. My eyebrows went up still further when I realized that the sparrows were accompanied by a small flock of 10-12 double-barred finches -- regular visitors according to my friend -- as were red-browed finches. Also briefly present was a solitary yellow-faced HE. My friend's place backs onto the open grassland between Kaleen and the Barton Hwy, which I suppose explains the presence of the finches, but I was still surprised to see so many.
This caused me to wonder just how much we don't know (and don't know that we don't know, as Rummy would say) about bird populations in Canberra,
despite all our collective ticking/surveying/record-keeping efforts. Any thoughts? Was I wrong to be surprised?

John Brannan
-- 
36 Challinor Cres., Florey, Canberra ACT 2615, Australia
Ph.: (+612) 6258 6038	Fax: (+612) 6258 6238
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