Because it is a free country ..............
Seriously, I do keep state lists. It started because the first field guide
that I bought was Simpson & Day, and it has check boxes next to the
distribution maps. So (for some reason I cannot remember) I ticked a box
for each state I saw the species in. When Christidis & Boles came out in
1994, I collated the information and have maintained my state lists since.
For anyone interested, my state totals are
Queensland 494 (including Torres Strait islands)
WA 480 (not including Ashmore, Cocos or Christmas)
NSW 336 (not including Lord Howe)
NT 289
Victoria 259
SA 240
Tasmania 145 (not including Macquarie)
For some reason, I haven't recorded ACT. I have only passed through a
couple of times. I have separate lists for each island territory.
Queensland and WA are the only states I have birded extensively. There are
massive holes in the other states. I don't plan trips to fill in these
holes, but if I happen to be in a state, then I do try to add a few more
'state ticks'. I might make an exception for Queensland and plan a trip to
take it to 500 as a nice round number, but I would also be looking for
mammals, butterflies, etc at the same time. WA has always been my main
list even before 1994. I only put together my Australian list when C&B1994
was published.
As for biogeographical regions I can't see how you can clearly
differentiate them in the field. You can be standing on the edge of a
"freshwater wetland" surrounded by open "grass fields" with some "woodland"
close enough by. Or standing in "coastal heath" looking at birds on the
"coastal beaches", and some breeding on a nearby "offshore island" with
some "pelagic" birds also flying by. Yes I know these aren't exactly the
85 "recognised" bioregions quoted by Laurie, but I am not going to make 3
or 4 separate lists when I am in the field. They all go on to the one
Atlas form.
_________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email :
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