-----Original Message-----
From: John Harris [
Sent: Monday, 7 July 2014 10:36 AM
To: Nick Payne;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Red-browed finches along Ginninderra Creek Umbagagog Park
Both Red-browed Finches and Double-barred Finches are common in the tall grasses of the Ginninderra Creek flood plain, especially where there is surrounding shrubbery.
At G Creek in Nicholls, behind my place there are 40+ RBF which are the largest component of the Mixed Feeding Flock around here. According to the COG Annual Report, RBF are on the increase. There are about 20 Double Barred Fs which I am glad to see because the same COG report suggests they are declining although there were more in the garden bird survey.I am fairly convinced that a factor is the loss of grassland and low shrubbery along the creeks. Both species require seeding grasses to feed on. While I applaud the number of constructed wetlands in Gungahlin, the plans do not always include the retention of native grasses. The ponds are often associated with public green areas which the authorities often prefer to mow right to the creek banks. The little Crace wetland for example, while I appreciate it for Crakes and other interesting waterbirds, is surrounded by concrete paths etc. Grass appears to be being encouraged on the western side of the new Valley Ponds at Gungahlin and I am hopeful for it, as I am for some of the smaller ponds and wetlands happening on the fringes of Gungahlin suburbs which are more generally left alone and grasses and shrubbery allowed to develop.
On 7/07/2014 7:49 am, "Nick Payne" <m("internode.on.net","nick.payne");">> wrote:
>On 06/07/14 11:53, David Churches wrote:
>> Flock of 20+ feeding along Ginninderra Creek near Stepping Stones at
>> Latham
>
>The last couple of times that we've ridden along East Tallagandra Lane
>between Sutton and Mulligans Flat Road, we've seen a flock of 15-20
>Double-Barred Finches up towards the Mulligans Flat end of the road. We
>used to see them around Canberra quite regularly, but they seem to have
>become less common over the past 25-30 years.
>
>Nick
>
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