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.
-----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
