What is a bird note book?
No Comments »4th October, 2006; Category: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about birding #11
What is a bird note book?
This can be any note book you find convenient to carry with in the field. I prefer small 5cm x 3cm spiral bound notebooks that slip easily into my shirt pocket.
Find something that works for you, is cheap, easily written in while birding and meets your needs. You may dispense with a notebook if you are not going to take notes or make a list of species seen, but I would strongly encourage you to add note taking and list making as an extra aspect of your hobby.
Brown Snakes and Woodswallows
4 Comments »3rd October, 2006; Category: General
Lately I have been trying to go for an early morning walk for the good of my health. Now that the days are beginning to warm up and most of the frosty mornings seem to have gone these are a little more pleasant. First thing in the morning is usually the best time for birding anyway.
Hot days
We have had the occasional day in recent weeks where the temperature has soared into the low 30s. This means that some of our Australian reptiles are on the move again. Lizards are actively appearing in different parts of the garden and we usually delight to see them as they make their way around.
Stumpy Tailed Lizard
Brown snakes
What I didn’t enjoy seeing on a recent morning walk was a Brown Snake. This species is widespread throughout our region and relatively common. It is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. While snake bites in Australia can be fatal, the death rate is low because very few people ever get bitten. If they do, it is often their own fault, usually as a result of cornering the snake or trying to kill it. Naturally it will try to defend itself. Most snakes in Australia are intent on getting out of your way as quickly as possible.
Now the snake in question was dead when I saw it as it had been run over while crossing the road I was walking on. In the days that followed I saw two other dead Brown Snakes in nearby roads.
Dusky Woodswallow
Woodswallows
Just a little further on I saw several Dusky Woodswallows. These lovely little birds are widespread in southern and eastern Australia and always a delight to see. Often they can form congregations numbering in the hundreds or even thousands within a relatively small area. On my recent morning rambles, however, I have only ever seen two or three. They have appeared in the same spot along the road now on a number of days. I must watch more attentively to check out if they are nesting somewhere near.
Birding when travelling
No Comments »2nd October, 2006; Category: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Birding #10:
I’m going overseas. What field guide should I buy?
This can be a daunting task.
I would compromise and not buy a single guide for every country I plan to visit. If your budget stretches that far, fantastic. I’d be worried about the weight in my luggage, however.
Instead, do what I did in early 2006. I went trekking in Nepal for three weeks. I bought the “Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.†This covered the birds of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of Tibet and other neighbouring countries. It included all the species I was likely to encounter in Nepal, plus a wider area for potential future travels. For example, I would love to visit India, not just for the birds but also for the cultural experiences.
Do your homework:
Don’t forget to buy the field guide at least six months before departure and do your homework, studying the birds you are likely to see. It makes identification in the field so much easier. I studied my field guide on the long flight over.
Related Articles:
Of Cuckoos and Kingfishers
5 Comments »1st October, 2006; Category: Garden birds
This week we have been spending quite a deal of time in the garden and especially in my wife’s native plant nursery. We have been busy sorting through the plants and preparing for a large plant sale in Adelaide next week.
Being outside for much of the day has its advantages as far as birding is concerned. We live in a relatively quiet area and so we can hear birds calling from all around us. We also have a small patch of mallee scrub near the nursery which is at the back of our house.
During this last week I have been aware of several special visitors to our garden. Yesterday I wrote about the Rainbow Bee-eaters returning for their summer holidays in the south. I hope they nest nearby.
Cuckoo calling
On Thursday we were delighted to hear a Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo calling near the house. I caught a brief glimpse of it sitting on the nearby power line but it flew off after a few seconds. We have heard it calling on a number of occasions since. This is another species that travels south for the summer. It is regularly recorded breeding in this part of Australia during the summer months. It is also a regular visitor to our garden.
Sacred Kingfisher
Uncommon visitor
Yesterday we were surprised and delighted to also hear a Sacred Kingfisher calling somewhere nearby. Every time I went chasing the call it would disappear, or stop calling, so I didn’t get to see it. I checked on my computer database and it has been nearly six years since the last visit of this species to our garden. More recently I have seen it on a number of occasions along the nearby Murray River.
The photo above was taken a few weeks ago in the walk through aviary of the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills.
New Holland Honeyeater v House Sparrow
Some time ago I wrote about bird aggression in the garden. On that occasion there was a dispute between our resident Willie Wagtail and a New Holland Honeyeater.
The New Holland Honeyeaters are currently feeding two chicks in a nest in our garden quite close to our house. They are constantly busy feeding their offspring.
Several days ago I noticed that a female House Sparrow ventured into the Melaleuca bush where the nest is located. The New Holland Honeyeater sent it off pronto, chasing it vigorously around the garden. Both landed on the ground and the honeyeater confronted the sparrow.
The response from the House Sparrow was something I had never seen this species display before; it raised its tail in a fan-like manner. This bold move seemed to work because the honeyeater backed off and soon resumed tending to its young.
It happened too quickly for me to photograph.
Related articles: