Julian: did you allow for the fact that the deep south has daylight saving
and the birds were thus counted between 6 and 7 am? My problem is that
there are far fewer birds in the garden in summer than in winter when all
the southern migrants are in town. Perhaps we should do a 1 June bird
count as well.
But I agree with you on the heat problem. For the past 4 years I have
taken part in BOCA's Challenge Bird Count on the first weekend in
December. Most birds are counted whilst on 'safari' with the car air con
on full bore, between interludes of counting in dwindling wetland and
forested sites. 11 am to 3pm is a real killer.
By January the early wet season rains have brought some relief to North
Queensland and an influx of birds to the wetlands and increased numbers of
passerine nestlings. Last year 6 birders from Townsville joined me for
a New Year's Day bird bash around Ingham and we got 86 species.
Cheers and have a happy Xmas.
On Sat, 20 Dec 1997, Julian Bielewicz wrote:
> Hugo:
>
> Re. your reminder about the New Year's Day Count organised for the past 15
> years the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia. The last few times a
> small group of us here on Redcliffe Peninsula were able to function at the
> time prescribed (between 7 and 8 am on New Year's Day) we found it already
> TOO HOT to bird. More importantly (perhaps) most self-respecting suburban
> birds in our immediate area were well ensconced in shadier spots.
>
> The New Year's Day birding in sub-tropical and tropical Queensland was/is
> much better an hour earlier.
>
> I did write to WPSA at the time but the mail must have been lost amongst all
> the late Christmas posts.
>
> Julian
>
>
|
