magpie nesting

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi Geoffrey,

 

I have just opened your message. I disagree with your comment and say that the connection (between the Atlas and the GBS is extremely close, on the basis that (1) the extract of my text in my book is about nest building (not other phases, so only the bottom bar in the graph below applies, although the ne, ny & dy stages are a good match too) and (2) that the GBS month is defined by the starting date of the week of the first and last week of the month. Thus October is from 2 October to 5 November (page 23 of GBS Report). The Atlas is by actual date. So this shows just into the start of November and I reckon it looks pretty much, if not exactly like a match.

 

Philip Veerman

24 Castley Circuit

Kambah  ACT  2902

 

02 - 62314041

-----Original Message-----
From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Wednesday, 16 September 2009 2:00 PM
To:
Cc: Alastair Smith
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] magpie nesting

Philip  -  The relevant sentence in your booklet is:  "Nest building commences and peaks in July and is finished by October".  The graph in the COG atlas suggests a slightly later conclusion, and is as follows:

 

 

Bob’s mot – and you do sometimes need to be on your toes for these - related to the photograph (see below) which showed the magpie holding some whisker-like twigs, so as to suggest, perhaps, a cat, but making me think, for some reason, of the Martians in early Buck Roger comics.

 

Alastair -  I doubt that your bird is a Pectoral Sandpiper, if that’s what you’re thinking, but I’m not the expert.  g

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [
Sent: Wednesday, 16 September 2009 11:56 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] magpie nesting

 

Hi All,

 

I point out once again, that my 21 Year GBS Report contains full descriptions of the timing of breeding from the GBS and the second and third edition includes the graphs of these, so the Magpie is certainly included. This will give an indication as to how ordinary or not it is to have nest building now (I think after the peak but I do not have the book with me now as I am in a hotel lobby.) The data were collected and analysed and published for a reason (this reason). So questions about the timing of the phases of nesting are easily answered there.

 

Philip

 

>   With the reports we have had of magpies sitting on nests, and I saw =

> one a few weeks ago, I wondered why this fellow seems to be just =

> building now.  Is their nesting season strung out in the ACT, or has =

> this fellow just woken up from a long sleep?   Farrer Ridge this =

> morning.

>

>   =20

>

>   Margaret Leggoe