Birding Blogs
The world of birds and birding is a fascinating one. The more I search on the internet the more wonderful web sites I find to look at. There are some impressive sites around, many with some excellent photos of birds. I have listed some of these sites on my links page.
Birding Blogs
There is a growing trend in birding circles to write blogs about one’s birding observations, blogs like this one. Many of them make very interesting reading and some entice one to return often. These are usually very well written and include beautiful photography. Surprisingly, my research has found that very few Australians have so far taken up the challenge to blog their observations. Am I at the vanguard of a movement?
Resource List
For those interested in the world of birding blogs a very comprehensive but far from exhaustive list of some blogs has been compiled by Charlie Moore whose blog is found here. Charlie has an enviable job for a birder; he is part of the Cabin Crew for British Airways and as such flies all over the world which gives him excellent opportunities to go birding in some exotic and wonderful places. “Sleep can wait – I’m going birding” seems to be his motto when jet lag beckons to bring him down.
The resource list he has compiled is found here. Note that this is on another web site and not part of his personal blog. I feel quite honoured to be featured on this list of over 100 birding blogs from around the world. The only other Australian blog is Duncan’s Ben Cruachan Blog of sightings in the Gippsland area of Victoria.
Birding Babylon Blog
Many birders take up their interest in birds early in life. In my case I was about 8 when I started observing the birds on the farm I called home. This was in the Murray Mallee district of South Australia.
Jonathan Touern-Trend
Jonathan started dedicated birding at the age of 12. In 2004 he was a 38-year-old Connecticut National Guard sergeant who was posted to Camp Anaconda about 40 miles north of Baghdad in Iraq. During the time he was stationed there he began observing the birds and other wildlife around him. Since he was working in intelligence no-one seemed concerned that he was often seen peering through his binoculars. He then recorded his observations in his blog. This has generated world-wide interest and gives one a completely different view of life there in the midst of a troubled country.
To check out this very interesting blog click here.
Misty Duck
It all started with a duck on a misty lake. The resulting photograph started a lifetime enjoyment of birds and bird photography. I discovered this wonderful site called Misty Duck this week. It is the site of Adrian Foster of North Wales in the UK. It features many beatiful photos of birds. An interesting side feature is the Misty Junior pages. It contains photos and hints from his daughter. Cute.
To visit the Misty Duck site click here.
Spoonbills of a different kind
I have been doing some searching on the internet over the Easter weekend. Last night I found a wonderful birding blog written by American birder Laura Erickson. She has written hundreds of pages about American birds and so her blog is very educational – and interesting. (Sometimes those two phrases don’t go together.)
Photo Gallery
The strength of her blog, in my opinion, is in her photo gallery. She has hundreds of beautiful bird photos. I was particularly impressed with her photos of the Roseate Spoonbills. They are so much more beautiful than our Australian spoonbills – which are lovely in their own right. It is such a stunning bird I feel like going out, buying a plane ticket to America and searching out this wonderful bird for myself.
Laura’s site called Birder Blog can be found by clicking here.
Stunning photos
Over the last few days I have spent a few hours looking at and reading the birding blogs of other birders. There are some fascinating blogs out there on the net, some of them with some stunning photos of birds.
Digital Photography
When I take photos of birds I use a Canon Powershot S2 IS. This has a 12x optical zoom which enables me to focus in quite close to the subject. One skill I am learning is being able to creep up quite close so I do not have to zoom in too much. Alternatively, I watch carefully for a spot where birds are frequently landing and then position myself within range and then wait patiently for the birds to come to me.
Digiscoping
Digiscoping is an another method of taking bird photos. A camera, either SLR or digital SLR is attached to a telescope using an adapter. This method enables one to be quite a distance from the subject. It also produces much clearer, sharper photos – depending, of course, on the quality of your equipment and the patience you can muster up.
Amazing Site
Today I came across Mike McDowell’s Bird Digiscoping site. It contains some amazing photos with stunning clarity and beautiful composition.
Mike also has a very interesting blog which includes many worthwhile tips on digiscoping.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos