‘Birdwatching for beginners’ engages the next generation of birders
Posted on 21 October, 2020 by Ivan
Our popular ‘Birdwatching for beginners’ event last weekend (Saturday 17 October 2020) had 282 people register for the theory session in the morning and we quickly ‘sold out’ of free tickets for the practical afternoon session. The event proved once again that community interest in birds and bird watching is gathering momentum, creating a new generation of bird watchers. The event aimed to attract new bird watchers and bird survey volunteers, and get people out enjoying and exploring the natural assets we are blessed with in Central Victoria. We’re thrilled to have such a positive response and see the enthusiasm of the participants, who were mostly from the Mount Alexander region and surrounding areas.
Local author and bird enthusiast Damian Kelly presented an overview and introduction to bird watching in the morning session, covering a range of topics and tips to get people skilled-up for bird watching. Damian is the author of the terrific ‘Castlemaine Bird Walks’ book. Damian wooed the audience with some outstanding bird photos, mostly from his own garden in central Castlemaine. He provided practical suggestions on how to get to know birds and where to start looking for birds in our region. He also responded to participants’ questions, answering important questions about binoculars, birding groups and bird calls, before heading off to mentor a practical session near Castlemaine. It was a busy day for our community birding champion!
The afternoon practical session involved a team of 4-5 beginners teaming up with an experienced local birdwatcher to go bird watching at some of Connecting Country’s bird survey sites on public land across our region. We ‘sold’ all 45 allocated tickets for this event with a long waiting list. People were keen to take this excellent opportunity to visit some great bird watching sites, with an experienced mentor to guide attendees through the afternoon. Small groups meant participants had plenty of opportunities to ask questions and learn directly from mentors, while minimising COVID-19 risks.
Feedback from both the morning and afternoon sessions was positive and appreciative, with many participants emailing directly after the event with thanks and requesting recordings of the event. The afternoon practical session was invaluable for the lucky attendees, who got to experience mentoring and an expert guide to the local birds of our survey sites on public land. There were many highlights from the afternoon, including seeing Dusky Woodswallows, Brown Falcons, Olive-backed Orioles, Superb Fairy-wrens, White-plumed Honeyeaters and Welcome Swallows. Several nests were spotted, including the amazing clay nests of the White-winged Chough.
Please enjoy the following photos captured by Ivan Carter, Frances Howe and Asha Bannon during the practical sessions, with birds and new birders sharing together.
Volunteers survey birds in the Mount Alexander area. Photo by Frances Howe
Monthly bird walks can be a healthy stroll with lovely people. The birds are a bonus. Photo: Connecting Country
This event is part of our ‘Community for bush birds’ project supported by the Australian Government under the Communities Environment Program.
A recorded copy of Damian’s presentation is available for download – click here
If you would like to learn more about birds, or have an interest in raptors and/or thornbills, you might like to download the presentations below, from our ‘Tricky Birds of Central Victoria’ event. They are an excellent resource for a little more detail on these bird groups.
- Geoff Park raptor presentation – click here
- Chris Tzaros thornbill presentation – click here
If you enjoyed this event, please consider contributing to Connecting Country’s work. We run entirely from grants and donations, with all donations over $2 being tax deductible.
- To volunteer – please email jess@connectingcountry.org.au
- To donate – please visit connectingcountry.org.au/get-involved/make-a-donation/
I have just purchased a property in Lewis Road Walmer. Every time my son in law visits the property a killer bird follows him around like a dog.
We think the bird is a male Spotted Pardalote. Can you tell me if this bird is know in this area?
Little bird not killer bird
Thanks Elizabeth, little bird makes sense. It could be a spotted pardalope, have a look at the photos and calls on the website below. They are in the Walmer area.
https://ebird.org/species/spopar1?siteLanguage=en_AU