How to be a Birder part 13
Hint # 13 Read birding blogs
You are reading this on my birding blog. Thanks for reading my little attempt at helping people like you learn more about birds and become keen birders yourself. Over the years watching birds has given me countless hours of pleasure, entertainment and relaxation. In the last few years many birders have started sharing their birding experiences by means of their blogs, like I have.
I would strongly encourage you to seek out some of these blogs and read them. Those with photo galleries are particularly interesting. This is an excellent way of learning more about the creatures we love, the birds. The photo galleries are also a great way to get to know the birds of other countries, all for the cost of your internet connection. Far cheaper than flying all over the world looking for them. Not that it ever substitutes for seeing the real bird out in the field. But then, many people cannot afford to go on expensive birding trips to exotic places.
Some birding blogs I really enjoy are listed below. This is a mere handful of sites. On each blog, look for the links section and their blog roll, or list of blogs they enjoy. This will lead you to sites that they enjoy. But just be warned: reading birding blogs can be addictive. And don’t forget to return to mine!
Birding Blogs I Like:
To find out more hints about how to be a birder click here.
To view my photo gallery click here.
Silver Gull
Birding on a morning walk
This morning we had a gentle walk along a few streets and roads we don’t normally use on our times of exercise. It was a mild morning, not frosty like so many mornings in recent months here in Murray Bridge, South Australia. A few clouds but mostly sunny with a gentle breeze – ideal conditions for a walk.
Honeyeaters
The birds thought so too – not for a walk mind you. They were everywhere calling and flitting around in the bushes and trees in the gardens as we walked along. There seemed to be honeyeaters everywhere; Red Wattlebirds, New Holland Honeyeaters, Singing and White Plumed Honeyeaters. I also heard several Brown Headed Honeyeaters but failed to see them.
Lapwings
I didn’t expect to see several Masked Lapwings as we walked through this part of the town. This species is common and widespread throughout the district but usually in association with water nearby. I had forgotten that we had to walk past a dam in a nearby paddock. There was also a small quarry containing some water. One of the lapwings was pacing along the edge of the muddy water.
Willie Wagtails
As we neared home the area opens into farming areas. In one of the paddocks we saw five Willie Wagtails feeding together. I thought this a little unusual as I normally only see them one or two at a time. As they flew off I realised that three must have recently left their nest as they were hotly pursuing their parents. Our own resident Willie Wagtails haven’t nested yet – at least, I haven’t observed a nest. I’d better check it out tomorrow.
How to be a Birder part 12
Hint # 12 Look at Birding websites
I have learned so much since first having access to the internet. The wealth of information can be overwhelming at times, so I have needed to become very selective and discerning in how much time I spend in research – and especially on just browsing. It is so easy to click from one interesting site to another.
Like most subjects, birds and birding sites are very common on the net. There are literally thousands of them, from hundreds of information pages on museum sites through to ramblings about birds and birding on personal blogs – and everything in between. Most birding organisations and bird clubs have their own web site. Birding guides and tour operators have sites. Birding equipment suppliers have sites. Then there are hundreds of accommodation offers specifically aimed at birders.
The types of sites I particularly appreciate and enjoy are those that feature bird photos. By now there must be tens of millions of photos available on the internet. I guess many hundreds of thousands of those are fabulous photos of birds – all kinds of birds from all over the world. With the advances in digital photography in the last five years and the ease of establishing a photo gallery on the internet, it has never been easier to let thousands of people view your bird shots. At the time of writing this article my photo gallery has only been going about few weeks. In that short time there have been over 27,000 views. Amazing.
Bird forums like Birding-Aus (Australia) and Birdchat (America) are a way for birders separated by thousands of kilometres to share their birding experiences. Birding-Aus and Birdchat are but two amongst dozens of such forums. Then there are newsgroups, groups that send out regular birding newsletters and all kinds of subscription services.
To look at some of the sites I really like click here.
To view my photo gallery click here.
To read more hints on being a birder, click here.
New Holland Honeyeater
How to be a Birder part 11
Hint # 11 Find a birding companion
I enjoy my own company but when it comes to birding there are advantages in having birding companion or two. I my case this is usually my wife, but then she usually has her head looking down at the plants or taking photos of flowers.
Having someone to share your interest in birds has several advantages:
- Sharing the cost travelling to distant birding spots.
- Help with identification of difficult species.
- Company when travelling distances or when the birding is slow.
- Four or more eyes and ears are more likely to pick up more species.
- Equipment like telescopes can be shared.
- New friendships can be developed and old ones further enhanced.
- Going birding with someone more experienced than you can be very instructive; you will learn plenty of great hints and help with identification.
To read more hints on how to be a birder click here.
Laughing Kookaburra
A bird of a different colour
6 Comments »17th August, 2006; Category: Parrots and Lorikeets
I recently had a picnic lunch at Clonlea Park in Gawler, South Australia. Gawler is a large town an hour north of Adelaide. The park consists of tennis courts, barbecue areas, extensive areas of lawn and is bordered by the Gawler River. We enjoy having lunch or a cuppa here on our way to visit our daughter in Clare. The bird life is interesting without being spectacular.
Australian Magpies, Wood Ducks, Adelaide Rosellas and Noisy Miner are the most common species present. Crested Pigeons and Spotted Turtledoves are likewise common. Masked Lapwings are sometimes seen on the lawns and Little Pied Cormorants along the river. Red Wattlebirds and White Plumed Honeyeaters are often seen foraging in the tree canopies. Striated Pardalotes are more often heard than seen.
On my most recent visit I was enjoying some lunch when my attention was drawn to a strange looking bird feeding on the grass some fifty metres away. I did not immediately recognise it so I scrambled for the binoculars. It turned out to be a white coloured Cockatiel (see photo), not a species I was expecting to see here. While it was not entirely impossible to see a Cockatiel here, the fact it was a white individual means that someone local is missing their pet bird.
Cockatiel parrot (aviary escapee?)
Cockatiels are bred by some aviculturalists in a range of colour variations. Why they do this always puzzles me because their natural colours are quite beautiful. We had a natural coloured one when I was quite young and I was able to teach it to speak a number of words. They make quite endearing pets and are quite at home living inside one’s house, like the pet of close friends. Theirs takes delight in harassing their two cats who also spend most of their time indoors.