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Do I need a GPS Unit when I go Birding?

No Comments »18th October, 2006; Category: Frequently Asked Questions, Hints

This is part #16 in a series of frequently asked questions about birding.

What is a GPS and how do I use it in birding?

  • GPS stands for Global Positioning System and relies on signals from satellites to give an exact fix as to where you are on the Earth, often accurate to within a metre or so.
  • A GPS unit looks a bit like an older mobile phone or a remote control unit. They can be quite expensive with base models starting at about A$400.
  • A GPS is useful when doing surveys that require latitude and longitude coordinates. When I was sending in reports for the Atlas of Australian birds this was a requirement and I also add this information to the database on my computer.
  • A GPS is not essential unless one is doing some serious research or survey work – or you are a statistical freak tragic like me.

  • They can also be useful if you get lost – if you remember to take a reading of where you left the car!
  • Happy birding – and don’t get lost – or misplace your car!

Babies, the Birds and the Bees

3 Comments »17th October, 2006; Category: Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Honeyeaters
New Holland Honeyeater in nest

New Holland Honeyeater in nest

It must be spring here in Murray Bridge, South Australia. So many baby birds all around us, including the baby New Holland Honeyeater in the photo above – just about to leave the nest. This one did leave the nest a few hours after this photo was taken and its sibling just a short time before the photo. At lunch time today we saw another New Holland Honeyeater making a new nest only a few metres away from this one.

The New Holland Honeyeaters are not the only ones breeding. Here is a list of birds I have observed nesting, feeding young in the nest or feeding newly fledged young in the last few weeks. It only includes birds observed in our garden, on our five acre block of land or on the roads bordering our property (on two sides).

Breeding Birds September – October 2006

  • White Winged Choughs – feeding young.
  • Little Raven – feeding young.
  • Red Wattlebird – feeding young in nest.
  • Australian Magpie – feeding young.
  • Yellow Rumped Thornbill – feeding young in nest.
  • House Sparrow – feeding young.
  • Common Starling – feeding young.
  • Common Blackbird – eggs in nest fell out (when the plant pot it was in fell over).
  • Spotted Turtledove – mating behaviour but nest not found.
  • Crested Pigeon – mating behaviour but nest not found. [Update: I found the nest a day after posting this article]
  • Grey Shrike Thrush – feeding young.
  • White Plumed Honeyeater – feeding young.

Noteable Exception:

  • Willie Wagtail – usually nest quite near the house but not observed nesting this year. This is noteworthy as it is probably the first time in over twenty years. It’s not too late, of course.

And the Bees??

The bees in the title of this article refer to several hives of bees – possibly feral bees – that have taken up residence in tree hollows. This prevents the native birds ever using that hollow again. We are trying to deal with the one nearest the house; two others are a little high in the trees to tackle.
Related articles:

Some Ibis on High

No Comments »17th October, 2006; Category: Bird Behaviour, Ibises, Waterbirds
Straw Necked Ibis

Straw Necked Ibis

Yesterday morning while having a cuppa out in my wife’s native plant nursery I observed a small flock of eleven Ibises flying high above us. The flock consisted of ten White Ibis and one Straw-Necked Ibis. I have frequently observed flocks of several hundreds of Ibises flying over or near the river here in Murray Bridge but we rarely get them flying over our place.

Most of the time they are Straw-Necked Ibis but occasionally there will be a few White Ibis fly over. The Straw-Necked seem to be the more common of the two species here in this part of Australia, in my experience anyway.

I haven’t any really good photos of either species yet which is a little surprising as they are very approachable and can be quite tame. In fact in some of the eastern states of Australia they are a pest species in parks and gardens. They will aggressively approach picnickers and steal food, a somewhat frightening experience for small children. (Some of our bird species can develop aggressive tendencies. For more comments click here.)

The above photo is the best I currently have. It is a special one because it was taken some time ago and is a record of the very first Straw Necked Ibis that we observed to land on our five acre block of land in over twenty years.

Updated Nov 2013.

Why do I need maps when I go birding?

No Comments »16th October, 2006; Category: Frequently Asked Questions, Hints

This is #15 in a Series of frequently asked questions about birding.

Why do I need maps when birding?

  • So you don’t get lost, or to find your way home if you do.
  • Seriously, though, maps are an excellent way of finding good birding spots you may have otherwise missed.
  • Look for lakes, rivers, dams and reservoirs; they are often great places to see waterbirds.
  • Look for forested areas, national parks, gorges, and other areas not used for agriculture and where there is a great likelihood of plenty of natural vegetation.
  • Botanic Gardens are another great place to observe birds. The flowers and plants are a bonus.
  • Ocean beaches, estuaries, tidal mudflats and exposed sandbars are other great birding spots.
  • Learn to read the signs on a map that indicate potential good birding areas, and always be prepared to be disappointed because some great spots can let you down from time to time. Sometimes the tide is in and there are few birds. Sometimes the wind is such that the birds have gone elsewhere for shelter.
  • Have a backup plan, a site B and site C.
  • No matter how poor the conditions, you shouldn’t dip completely. In 30 years of birding I have only once recorded zero birds. It was almost dark and raining heavily, but I did see a kangaroo and an echidna. You get that.

Happy birding.

Great Birding Moments #15 Long Billed Corellas

3 Comments »15th October, 2006; Category: Cockatoos and Corellas, Great Birding Moments, Parrots and Lorikeets
Long Billed Corellas

Long Billed Corellas

This great birding moment occured not in the field but at my computer. A few weeks ago we visited Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It was a calm and mild evening and we had a cuppa and a few biscuits while sitting on a log placed near the water’s edge. There was the usual squadron of ducks, grebes and coots swimming about – or headed in our direction hoping for a tasty handout. (Word must be out that my wife’s Anzac biscuits are superb).

Long Billed Corellas

Long Billed Corellas

A small flock of Corellas flew in and landed on a nearby tree. “Little Corellas” was my immediate thought and wrote that in my notebook. It was only when I downloaded the photos to my computer that night that I realised that they were actually Long Billed Corellas. Oops. Never assume anything – check them out carefully. It’s a good rule of thumb when birding. I had momentarily lapsed into thinking that they were Littles when in fact both species are common in our state.

Related articles:

  • Little Corellas – about calls to cull the large numbers of corellas in parts of South Australia.

Updated November 2013.

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