Eastern RosellaOh how we love ye.

Well, not necessarily all of ye, and maybe not especially these colourful little numbers as they methodically strip the buds from the flowering cherry tree. You, Rosella, made this Wellingtonista wish momentarily for the .410 he used to use as a kid. But that would be criminally irresponsible in a built-up area, as well as a serious digression from the subject matter of this posting.

Onward.

This week is Landcare Research’s Garden Bird Survey:

The basic format of the garden bird survey is that people spend 1 hour during a specified week in winter watching birds in their home gardens, public parks, or school grounds, and recording the largest number of each species they see at any one time. When repeated over a number of years this will provide valuable information on changes in distribution and population trends of birds in our urban environment.

This recent fine weather provides the perfect opportunity. It’s inevitable that you’ll probably not see the occasional spectacular visitor in the hour you choose, like that falcon that was hunting the Western Suburbs a few years back, but at least you’ll be doing your bit for science.

And what could be nicer than a quiet hour outside counting the birds?