Unknown unknowns

["martin butterfield" <>]

GBS Charts have been completed for CSIRO Crace (and I'm not sure if they defined the same area within the compound) over a couple of periods by various observers.  These show the area to have the highest number of Double-barred Finches per observer week (effectively 'A') of any suburb in the ACT.  Most other high scoring areas are on the fringe of the urban area.

 

There were 178 observations of the species in this area, mainly of 2-6 birds with a few in double digits.  45 birds is well above the previous numbers recorded at the site.

 

Overall the species has been recorded at least once in 52 suburbs with Kaleen coming in at #34 - possibly reports come from parts of this large suburb away from the grassy areas to the North.

 

Martin

On Mon, May 19, 2008 at 5:59 PM, Damien Farine <> wrote:

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

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Date: Mon, 19 May 2008 17:43:06 +1000
From:
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank">
Subject: 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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