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The final issue (Vol 6 No. 3,4 ISSN 1323-255X dated
September-December 2000) of The Australian Birding Magazine carried an article
by myself regarding a birding trip I made with three others commencing 22nd July
2000. Had the ABM continued the following would have been in the next issue, but
in the absence of further issues I am making my apology as public as possible
via birding-aus.
In that article I referred to the sighting of Grey-crowned
Babblers in the far north of South Australia. My wording of that sighting was
inadvertently incorrect in that I said it confirmed the presence
of these Babblers in SA. I also stated that there had been some
debate about this prior to our departure. These two sentences possibly
created an incorrect impression that I had been involved in such a debate, which
I hadn't. I had only been informed by others that there had in the past perhaps
been some debate as to their continuing presence in SA. Additionally, my
using the word confirming may have created the impression that I was
claiming any sort of credit for establishing their presence, which I certainly
was not. I had been told they had been seen near the Marryat River in the far
north, and as my trip would take me to that area I was asked to have a look
for them. This was done and we found them, hence the mention in my
article. The fact of their presence was already established by other
people as early as 22-24 April 2000 and reported in the same issue of ABM
(p39) , which was some three months prior to my being there.
I will conclude by stating quite categorically that I had no wish or
intention to be associated with establishing the presence of those birds in SA
and apologise if I offended anyone by inadvertently implying that I had.
My intention was simply to report seeing them.
Sincerely. Tony Russell.
SA birding by 4WD
phone: 08 8337 5959
email:
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