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Sorry
for needing to clarify even at the need to be tedious. As the "someone", I will
say I then thought that Mark's earlier mention of this, was the only hint I had
ever heard of that suggestion. It being a surprise suggestion to me and
with me having no knowledge of this species being kept domestically, after all
the years that those birds were there, it seemed odd and worthy of stronger
evidence to support the idea.
I did
not say it was a rumour, I wrote: "Mark now raises as I suppose a rumour" -
"I suppose a rumour", not that it is a rumour, this being the only set of words
I could come up with and as modest as I could be, as there was not much
information presented to go on. I credited Mark with the idea, simply
because I knew of no other origin for the suggestion. That seems fair to
me.
I
notice that Steve Wilson's book (the most obvious reference on such things) has
no suggestion of this possible origin. It talks about two birds were noted at
JWNP on 2-7-1966, since then they have been noted at other places but mainly at
FSTW. Also that "individuals and small groups have remained for some months at
times". That suggests many establishments of the species. That history does
not disprove, but I reckon does not sit easily, with the idea of captive origins
of this small group. Also I note that these birds (from my observations) are
usually at the far side of the ponds and not easily approachable, which does
seem odd for aviary bred birds.
Mark's
earlier message 30-9-2011 was After asking a few
questions of people in the know (there are several duck experts locally) I am
now 99% certain they were “aviary” bred and released on the ponds.
That to me is within reasonable definition of "I suppose a rumour" but sorry if
Mark or others disagree. It is nowhere as definitive as the now written as a
statement that these birds were introduced by a
former aviculturalist many years ago. I think people will find that Chris Davey
and Peter Fullagar will agree with this statement.
Maybe Chris and
Peter could add some insight to this, or simply ask the gentleman concerned to verify that he
did release these birds there.
Thanks to Mark
for now having clarified to us of some additional basis, that it is
something more than a supposed rumour. I'll keep the idea open. It is an
interesting suggestion.
Philip
After an unsuccessful morning at Kelly’s looking for snipe
(both varieties) Carole Elliott and I wandered over to the sewage ponds for a
quick look. There were 2, possibly 3, Black-fronted Dotterels and what I assume
given the size difference, a pair of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers on the first pond
on the right walking down from the gate. This pond appears to be drying rapidly
and was quite shallow. On the second pond on the left were 2 male Blue-billed
Ducks and a possible third bird, a female, hidden amongst the Hardheads and
grebes. As I noted in an earlier email, these birds were introduced by a former
aviculturalist many years ago. I think people will find that Chris Davey and
Peter Fullagar will agree with this statement as all three of us worked with the
gentleman concerned so it is not a rumour that I have started as suggested by
someone recently.
Mark
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