Ga ng-ga ng Aug ust 2003 News letter of the Canberra Ornithologists Group Inc. AUGUST M EETING level and her desire to increase the data without formal authorisation by number of images used has greatly the Committee, and his improved it's look and appeal. unprecedented and unwarranted Wednesday 13 August performance at the June COG Kathy also developed the graphics meeting, the Committee feels for and designed COG's 'Birds of Details pg 2 compelled to set the record straight. Canberra Gardens' publication, and more recently the Declining COG's Garden Bird Survey (GBS) Woodland Birds pamphlet. commenced in 1981 and, for many years, its findings were reported only On behalf of the COG Committee Contents briefly, in the annual bird report. and membership, MANY THANKS After the survey had been running Field trip reports 3 KATHY for a job well done. Future field trips 5 for 17 years, and following Tanya Rough stepped into the Gang- discussion between Philip and the Final Tattlings 13 gang editor and designer role earlier Department of Urban Services, the COG info 16 this year on an interim basis, and has Department made a grant to COG to agreed to continue until a permanent publish a book on the birds of editor and designer can be found. Canberra, based on data from the Thank you Tanya. GBS. A management committee for the project was formed and Philip From your Veerman, the then GBS coordinator, The GBS report saga was contracted to extract and collate Committee Until now, the COG Committee has data from the GBS database and to deliberately refrained from making THANKS to Kathy Walter provide an explanatory text. He was any public comment about its paid $2,500 from the grant for his Kathy Walter has formally stepped decision in October 2001 not to work. down as editor and designer of publish Canberra Birds: a review of Gang-gang, after a number of years the first 18 years of the Garden Bird In the view of the management regular and responsible service to Survey, by Philip Veerman. The committee, Philip's text did not meet COG in one or both of these Committee recognised that Philip the Department's requirement that important positions. had put in an immense amount of the work be suitable for 'a wide audience' so a large team of COG Over the last few years Gang-gang work into the review, but concluded on the basis of expert advice that the members undertook the rewriting has become an interesting and and editing task, without informative newsletter, keenly draft document at that time was not suitable for publication. However, remuneration. The end result was awaited by the membership every Birds of Canberra Gardens, which month. Kathy's role in designing following Philip's subsequent publication of his review, using COG sold over 2,800 copies and made a Gang-gang to a very professional surplus, for COG, of some $39,000. Gang-gang Augst 2003 1 Some time later, after long and indicated that he was unprepared to 3. a disclaimer is included, stating difficult negotiations, COG paid make further changes, the Committee that the views expressed are Philip a further $295 for his expenses accepted the office bearers' those of the author and not under the initial contract and an ex recommendation. Philip then went necessarily those of COG." gratia payment of $2,205 in ahead and self-published his review Philip has declined to sign the recognition of the costs incurred in in 2002, without seeking formal Memorandum of Understanding and, his running of the GBS. permission to use the data for his accordingly, the Committee has own purposes; he updated it in 2003. It was agreed that part of the appointed Mark Clayton as interim publication output would also The Committee commends Philip GBS coordinator. include shorter technical papers, to wholeheartedly for his enthusiasm be published by COG or in other for the GBS, his responsiveness to Your committee journals. Because of this agreement queries based on it, and for the and in light of Philip’s concern about considerable work he has put into his many aspects of the Birds of review over many years. He is not, Canberra Gardens, in January 2000, however, a professional the Committee agreed in principle to ornithologist, statistician or technical publish a more technical report on writer. Nor has he shown much the GBS with Philip as sole author. preparedness to accept professional At its August 2000 meeting, the advice or to work collaboratively to Committee reaffirmed its in-principle achieve positive outcomes. support for a technical report of 100- AUGUST MEETING In consequence of its initial failure to 120 pages, but insisted on its being 8 pm obtain the kind of review of the GBS professionally refereed before th that is warranted, the Committee will Wednesday 13 making a final commitment to its commission a professional review of publication. Philip provided a Canberra Girls Grammar the GBS, which it will publish in a manuscript in December 2000. Two School cnr Gawler Cres and future issue of, or supplement to, external reviewers nominated by Melbourne Ave, Deakin Canberra Bird Notes. Philip provided extensive comments Short talk The short talk will on the manuscript and these were In response to some members' be a very special one, by parrot passed to Philip to guide him in concerns, and to address any expert Joe Forshaw, this time redrafting the document. The uncertainties that might exist over on Dollarbirds (he doesn't want Committee appointed a second the use of COG data, the Committee to be typecast!). Special, review team, comprising Dr Michael has prepared Memoranda of because it will be one day short Lenz, Dr Chris Tidemann and David Understanding between COG and all of the 35th anniversary of his McDonald, to make an assessment of persons who have access to COG first talk to COG - so come and the extent to which the manuscript data, spelling out what is expected of be part of the celebration. had been reworked to take into the holders of the positions and what Main speaker Our main account the reviewers' comments and they are permitted to do with the speaker will be James Nicholls, to make recommendations on the data. The provisions relating to the a former Canberran and young next steps. The review team advised use of data are highly liberal, and COG member, and now COG's office bearers that the report read as follows: completbning his PhD at the University of Queensland on was still not in a form suitable for [Office-holder] "may not publish or publication by COG, and suggested Satin Bowerbirds, which will otherwise make use of COG data be the topic of his talk. that Philip work with a technical (with minor exceptions) on his own writer and statistician to improve the account unless: Should be a great night document. Given the Committee's don’t miss it! previous experience in trying to 1. permission is sought and engage Philip in a team process, the received in writing from the office bearers rejected this COG committee to use the data suggestion and recommended to the for that specific use only; and Committee that the document not be 2. in any such publication or use, published by COG. The Committee that permission is acknowledged; gave Philip time to respond to the and review team's report, and when he 2 Gang-gang August 2003 species here before, nor the Eastern Field Trip Yellow Robin, which turned out to be probably the conspicuous species Donations to Reports for the day. Even the Superb Birds Australia , so vocal during a visit Lyrebirds for HANZAB nearly a year ago to the day, were Round Flat area Tinderry surprisingly quiet, with only the Many of you will know of the Nature Reserve; Sunday occasional short burst of calling. fabulous HANZAB volumes 22 June 2003 The Spotted Quail-thrush and Wonga Pigeon often seen here remained out being produced by Birds of sight and hearing. While the Australia. Question: Who would go walking at patch of silver banksias at Roberts Six volumes of the seven above 1100 m on the shortest day of Creek near the end of the walk still volume series are now the year when showers in the ranges o contained the odd flowering spike, completed. The and a maximum of 10 C has been and some grevillea was coming into seventh is well underway. forecast? Answer: Eighteen slightly flower nearby, this was obviously crazy Canberra birdwatchers! And not enough to sustain any Alas, Birds Australia is the prospects for a wet and miserable honeyeaters. desperately short of funds to day spent walking among cloud and persistent drizzle, if not snow, looked Nevertheless participants had a very complete this important work. It pretty strong judging by the very low enjoyable walk in an area where has launched an appeal to raise cloud cover over the mountains to most of them had not been or heard $800 000. the west as we drove down the of before. A Wedge-tailed Eagle Monaro Highway. When we circling low while harassed by two This is a good time to give. dropped down into Michelago it was Australian Ravens as we returned to Donations are tax deductible, so a certainly a big surprise to find the the cars added a nice finishing touch. that you can get a tax refund high peaks of the Tinderries virtually As an added bonus, a very mangy, soon. cloud free. ochre-coloured wombat made a bee- line straight past us to dive into Despite some pessimism on my part shelter, where presumably its burrow Send your donation - cheque this remained so, and went spent was located, when we stopped to (payable to Birds Australia about 4 hours walking in the SE check a spot at the bottom of the Research Fund), or credit card corner of this little known reserve range where a Chestnut-rumped (Bankcard,Visa or Mastercard) - under high cloud, with patches of Heathwren had been recorded several to HANZAB at Birds Australia, sunshine and only the occasional months ago.