canberrabirds

Unknown unknowns

To: John Brannan <>, <>
Subject: Unknown unknowns
From: Damien Farine <>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 17:59:23 +1000
Double-barred finches are very common around my building at CSIRO in Crace (across the barton hwy from Kaleen).  I've had 45 in the trees outside my office a few weeks ago, and they have been resident as long as I've been working there (they bred last summer). 
Damien


Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 17:43:06 +1000
From:
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Unknown unknowns

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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