canberrabirds

Wedge-tailed Eagle over Hughes

To: "'Philip Veerman'" <>, <>, "'Canberra Birds'" <>
Subject: Wedge-tailed Eagle over Hughes
From: "Mark Clayton" <>
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:32:47 +1100

Good evening all,

 

For a long time I have been intrigued by what species are actually being classed as “garden” birds in the ACT. To me a garden bird is something that actually USES my garden, not something that has flown half a kilometre up and over the top. How many people have actually had Wedge-tailed Eagles land in their garden or within the prescribed area used for GBS recording? In the latest edition of “Birds of Canberra Gardens” there is even a breeding record listed that I find rather unbelievable. There are numerous species recorded in the book that I cannot accept as garden birds – several other species of raptors, both swift species unless they have actually landed in a tree (which at least some do at night to roost), grebes, pelicans, spoonbills, snipe etc, etc.

 

I am not trying to start an argument with this; I’m just trying to work out what is a “genuine” garden bird and what is not.

 

Rational discussion welcomed!

 

Mark

 


From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Sunday, 31 January 2010 5:41 PM
To: ; 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: [canberrabirds] Wedge-tailed Eagle over Hughes

 

From the GBS Report, the F value of the Wedge-tailed Eagle is 12.06%.  Which means that the average of the annual values over those 21 years of the proportion of sites at which the species was recorded at least once in the year (i.e. F%), is 12.06%. This would tend to suggest that having missed it for 15 years, it has so far been under observed at your site.

 

As for me I observe them I think every year and most likely several observations (i.e. weeks) per record (i.e. year). But then again I am between Mt Taylor and the Murrumbidgee and they commute over my house. And I do spend much time hanging up the washing.

 

As for "The list of possibles for the house list is getting shorter". That is a well known phenomenon that applies to all such systems and is shown on the GBS Report in Figure 15 that combined data for all sites together and shown in inverse in Figure 16 (but making the same point if you think around it) for the seven sites that contributed every year.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [
Sent: Sunday, 31 January 2010 11:41 AM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Wedge-tailed Eagle over Hughes

Had to happen eventually, of course, but we've finally spotted one (c.11.30am this morning). Only took 16 years....

The list of possibles for the house list is getting shorter.

:-)

John Leonard

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