Double-barred Finches

["Philip Veerman" <>]

I don't think I have seen Double-barred Finches at the ANBG in my years of residence in Canberra (since 1983) but I did see and photograph a small breeding group of them in the area close to what is now the Tasmanian section on 30 & 31 January 1974 on my first visit to Canberra. That fits the more detailed info below.

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Denis Wilson [
Sent: Saturday, 14 July 2012 9:46 AM
To: boy nature
Cc:
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] FW: Double-barred Finches

Greeting COGsters.

Benj makes a
good point about the finches and native vegetation.

My father banded many
Double-bars in the "Canberra Botanic Gardens", in the pre-opening era - prior to
its renaming as ANBG.
In those days, of early development of the Gardens,
there were large open areas between the main plantings of shrubs.
They were
set out in botanical families (still are, largely). So there were rows of
Proteaceae (eg, Hakeas, and Grevilleas) 
and then Myrtaceae (e.g.
Callistemons, Melaleucas, etc).
In between these rows were large areas of
native grasses (or "wild grasses").

These grasses were allowed to thrive
and seed. The grasses grew to about 18 inches high (in the old
money).

Consequently the finches of Canberra thrived there.
Red-brows
and Double-bars mostly.
They then bred in the dense shrubbery offered by the
flanking plantings, but the spiky Hakeas in particular were very popular nest
sites.

Of course, in the early years of the ANBG, a decision was made to
replace the "wild grassed areas" with cultivated turf, which is kept
mowed,
(to the advantage of little children, Wood Ducks and
Choughs).

The Finch population of the ANBG plummeted
thereafter.

An ancient perspective on finches in Canberra.

Denis
Wilson


Denis Wilson
"The Nature of Robertson"
www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au