Should I belong to a Bird Club?
This is # 19 in a series of frequently asked questions about birds and birding.
Should I belong to a bird club?
- Being with like minded people, especially if they have more experience than you, is an excellent way of learning about birds.
- Many organisations have excellent monthly meetings, often with very experienced speakers.
- Most organisations also have monthly or quarterly journals or magazines, another excellent way of learning about birds in your area.
- Most clubs often have monthly, even weekly, outings and excursions to great birding spots.
- Sometimes the leaders can arrange access to areas where the general public cannot go, so this, of itself, is worth the annual fee.
- I would highly recommend belonging to at least one local bird group and one national birding organisation, providing you can afford both. I am confident that you will not regret your decision.
Bird Word: Aberrant
Aberrant: something that is unusual or abnormal
A bird that is aberrant is one that is unusual or abnormal, one that has strayed from its normal range or habitat.
If a Pelican landed in my swimming pool I would say this is rather unusual, though I have had a Little Pied Cormorant and a White Faced Heron investigate the pool and check it out for frogs and fish.
Frogs, yes, fish, no. That was also somewhat aberrant behaviour. On the part of the birds, not the frogs.
For more in these series of articles check out the Glossary of Birding Words.
Australian Pelican
Spotted Pardalote nesting
Nest hollow of the Spotted Pardalote
For several weeks we have been looking for a nesting hollow of the Spotted Pardalote in our garden or nearby, without luck until yesterday. Today I approached the hollow cautiously and took several photos of the nest. A few seconds later one of the nesting birds came cautiously towards the hollow carrying some soft, fine grass in its beak. The hollow was obviously finished and now they were furnishing it ready for the eggs.
Spotted Pardalote with nesting material in beak
Pardolotes are certainly on my list of favourite birds. We have two types here in Murray Bridge, both of them resident in our garden. This one is the Spotted Pardalote and the other is the Striated Pardalote. Both make the nest in a hollow at the end of a tunnel in sand, in the bank of a creek or river, in the cutting on the side of a road. The Pardalotes will also use a small hollow in a tree and even in gaps between brickwork in a building.
Related article:
- Spotted Pardalote – a close encounter with this species some months ago.
Most popular articles
No Comments »24th October, 2006; Category: General
This birding blog is just over a year old now and I have been doing a little reflecting on what has happened over the last twelve months. With ever increasing numbers of people visiting this site about Australian birds I guess that many people would have missed some of the earlier articles I wrote that caused quite a stir, or which were particularly popular, for whatever reason.
They are all available if you search through the Archives section but that can be a little tedious. Another way is to search using the Categories section; this can also be a little tedious.
On this post, I will provide a very lazy way for you to access some of the very popular articles I have written over the last year. I should qualify the label “most popular.” I actually have listed those that have been most commented on over the last year.
Just click on the title of the articles you wish to read.
Ten Most Commented On Articles on this Blog:
- Do Blackbirds Swoop? How to deal with aggressive behaviour in birds.
- Common Blackbirds
- Some Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers (this is more about blogging and writing but references to birding as well).
- Rainbow Lorikeets
- Great Birding Moments #6 New Holland Honeyeaters
- Great Birding Moments #13 Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
- A Cloud of Kites
- Great Birding Moments #14 Cockatoo Close Encounter
- Great Birding Moments #5 Crested Pigeon
- Favourite Birding Spot #1 Home
So there you have it.
Ten great posts to read and enjoy.
Don’t forget to leave a comment on these – or any other posts.
Remember to use the archives and the categories sections to search out other interesting articles and photos.
This post was updated on 1st March 2017.
How can I learn more about birds?
This is #18 in a series of frequently asked questions about birding.
How can I learn more about birds?
- Learning about birds can be accomplished in many ways.
- Studying field guides and other books is essential.
- Much can be gained by reading bird magazines and on-line web sites, including birding blogs like this one. If you go to the links section of my blog I list some sites I particularly like.
- I also enjoy learning more from natural history television programmes, videos and DVDs. I have quite a few and wished my budget stretched to the purchase of more.
- Borrowing from libraries and other birders is another source of information.
- Joining a birding club and attending their meetings and outings into the field is yet another way to hone one’s skills.
- Never underestimate how helpful other birders can be.