RE: [BIRDING-AUS] mathematics and birding

["Colin Driscoll" <>]

There's another P formula that goes like this:

 

P = p+t(long)

 

where p is the position of the bird on a branch such that its head is obscured or its tail is always presented to the person trying to identify it and t is the length of time spent in this position before flying away.

 

Happy frustrating birding!

 

Colin Driscoll

 

---

From: [ On Behalf Of John Leonard
Sent: Saturday, 28 May 2005 5:22 PM
To: Canberra Birds; Birding-aus
Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] mathematics and birding

There's a telephone wire at the back of our yard and King Parrots
often fly through and perch on it. I've been trying, so far without success, to
take a picture of them as they sit there.

I've decided from my
observations there their behaviour can be summed up in a mathemtical formula,
and this can probably apply to all birds and their perching behaviour:

P
= f - .5sec

where P is 'the time spent perched' (measure in seconds) and
f is 'the amount of time required to pick up the camera, turn it on, fiddle
around and frame the bird' (also measured in seconds).

-- 
John
Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net