It's rather dismissive to imply that birds (or sightings of them) are
inconsequential unless they have 'genuine scientific importance'.
I would suggest that the occurrence of a bird in an area is never
'inconsequential', be it a resident, visitor or vagrant. I'd also suggest
that the latter occurrences can tell quite a lot about a bird's biology
and may well be a productive area of study for someone with a
suitable approach. But science aside, birdwatchers in general love
to see vagrants, the rarer the better.
There was a Flock Bronzewing at the Darwin Sewage Works on
Tuesday (20/7), rather a good record on which to base a
discussion of the 'scientific' value of sightings of vagrants.
It may be that we're venturing into the murky waters of 'science v.
birdwatching', which I'd rather avoid so I'll leave it at that.
Good birding
Niven
PS There was a downy Rufous Owl in the Darwin Botanic Gardens
this morning, presumably only a day or two out of the nest. Nice
bird!
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