Australian (?) birds

["martin butterfield" <>]

I'm currently in Vanuatu where most of the common birds are well up the A-scores in the GBS table. 

While walking back to my hotel this evening I passed the Australian Fortress - sorry, High Commission.  There were about 300 Common (aka Indian) Mynas on the grassed area next door.  I hope their visa applaications will be rejected.

More pleasantly (I think) the field guide for this area (Birds of The Solomons, Vauatu and New Caledonia, by Doughty, Day and Plant) has an entry for Red-browed Finch which says in part "..there was a surpise sightiing in 1988 of a small flock at Pt Vila...origin unknown".  When we visited in May this year I found a small group by the main wharf, but on this trip I found at least 20 birds, mainly immatures, lurking in a clump of bamboo at the Melanesian Hotel last evening while the flock at the wharf (2km away n a straight line) was evident this morning.  I suspect they are breeding rather well.

Martin