Hello everyone,

We've been up since 4am this (& yesterday) morning to go on a survey of the endangered Southern form of the Black-throated Finch - see http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/black-throated-finch.

It's last known stronghold is in the western parts within 30kms of Townsville - members sat on a number of privately owned dams & recorded what we saw. The BTF is the main interest followed by Double Bar Finches, Squatter Pigeons & Diamond Doves. There are also some seen in the vicinity of the huge & quite controversial Carmichael mine - what will happen to them is anyone's guess but according to some multi-billionaire (our fiendish Clive Palmer), "birds have wings, they can fly"! Clive fails to understand what these rare finches need in a home (poplar gums, a water hole & grass seeds that fall on the ground).

There is another sub species that lives in the northern areas eg around Georgetown - they are more common.

I did some looking through past postings & found one called "Beautiful Bird". Jules47 queried a Ringneck (commonly called a "28"). There were a few queries as to why it was called a 28 (or a 38). According to Peter Slater's "Australian Birds", it gets the name of 28 because that is what its call sounds like.

Also Big Gorilla showed a Gouldian Finch (a truly beautiful but threatened bird of the north & NW). BG also stated it is sometimes called "A Painted Finch" - that is not the case. The Painted Finch too is a beautiful bird - see https://birdsville.net.au/birds-for-sale/finch/australian-finches/painted-finch-breeding-and-care/ 

These birds (the Painted Finch), Grey Falcon, Painted Honeyeater & Emu Wrens are a few reasons why members of BirdLife Townsville often visit Bladensburg NP, out of Winton (Central Qld). They like the arid areas.

I'm certain Desert Dweller (DD as most of us know Keith & Judy) would also like to see more of these birds in their travels.

If anyone has a bird that they are not certain what it is, please post a query on https://www.facebook.com/groups/209677085864957/