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Sorry
Mark or actually sorry to anyone else for the way this is progressing. I'm
lost. What is your question? Is there anything unclear in my comment? No one
else seems unable to understand or have asked me what I am babbling about. To
start with: "(the wider community than those Mark has referred to)" is obviously
referring to your comment (11-10-2011) "I, as well as Peter
and Chris and several former staff members from CSIRO Wildlife”. In
that you were referring to a small group of people. I point out that this in
contrast to the wider community of us, who do not know anything about the duck
breeding and release history of this person you told us
about.
I am
responding to the last sentence of Geoffrey's message.
Geoffrey wrote "the work of the Phantom Backyard
Duck-breeder" that it looks like someone named Graeme
asked Geoffrey about. I think it a fair guess, that this is Geoffrey's humorous
terminology of the unidentified person who, you, Mark, wrote about, that you
alleged had bred and released Blue-billed Ducks. I have no idea who he is.
I was
simply asking if maybe the prior record of the single PWD is the same bird as
what you wrote: "Peter will also tell you that another species of rare duck
were also released on the ponds" Or maybe it is the Egyptian Goose. I have no
idea. You mentioned it but did not say what the other species of rare duck was.
Therefore it is a fair question. I don't know of any other likely rare duck that
fits the picture. Why don't you tell us what that "other species of rare duck"
was.
Thanks
for the comment from Denis. I agree entirely. Of course birds move around a lot
and ducks are included in this. There is no reason to suspect direct human
assistance in most of these events. However if we do have a known history that
some of these Blue-billed Ducks were released, and Mark seems pretty convinced
of this, then if that is demonstrated as correct, it at least deserves to be
considered as to what possible role it has on the recent history. Until the full
story is known and even if that old history is true, I don't see any conclusive
connection, history or evidence that the Blue-billed Ducks at FSP in recent
years are only there because some person allegedly released the same
birds there 30+ years ago. That doesn't mean the question of some small nth
generation connection is not worth considering.
Philip
Can someone please tell me what
Philip is babbling on about? I have had several people ask me the same question
and what it has to do with aviculturalists or “phantom backyard duck breeders!
As far as I know, absolutely nothing!
Mark
From: Philip
Veerman [
Sent: Tuesday, 18 October 2011
1:50 PM
To:
Subject:
[canberrabirds] Not shovelling, whistling (2)
Maybe,
but do we (the wider community than those Mark has referred to) know what are
(is?) the modus operandi of the "Phantom Backyard Duck-breeder". I think
not. It is stated by Mark and Chris that this person is a he. So far we have a
curious story about Blue-billed Ducks that I think the historical evidence
issued so far doesn't match the conclusion originally suggested, and as Mark
wrote (10-10-2011): "Peter will also tell you that another species of rare
duck were also released on the ponds!!! If you won’t believe me then ask him."
But that is a curiously incomplete comment as it doesn't identify the birds and
no further comment has come out. So I am not sure as to the value or motive of
this information. I know we had an oddly behaving PWD around Kingston several
years ago and that bird certainly behaved like it could be a tame bird released.
Those who watched it may recall that it "forlornly" associated with Black Swans.
We also had an I think Egyptian Goose on LBG a few years ago.
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoffrey Dabb
[
Sent: Tuesday, 18 October 2011 7:26
AM
To:
Subject: FW:
[canberrabirds] Not shovelling, whistling (2)
I might have mentioned that this
embryonic wetland already has quite a population of waterfowl, including a large
crèche of wood ducklings. They must know what it’s there for, like it’s
not for water polo. As they said in Field of Dreams (1989), “If you
build it, they will come”. (Now included in the AFI’s 100 best-known film
quotes. [Usually misquoted, it was really, “If you build it, he will
come”. ])
Last evening the notorious lone
guineafowl of the Ainslie/Dickson borderlands also put in an appearance.
This is a well-known “Should I tick it?” bird.
Yes, Graeme, we should consider
the possibility that the PWDs are the work of the Phantom Backyard Duck-breeder,
but the numbers are inconsistent with his or her past methods. Perhaps he
or she has gone to a new level.
From: Geoffrey
Dabb [
Sent: Monday, 17 October 2011 8:45
PM
To:
Subject:
[canberrabirds] Not shovelling, whistling (2)
I make it 28
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