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Bird spotting

By Rex Fisher

Tricks of the Trade (Part 2 - Finding them)

I would say that SOUND is probably my most useful aid to finding birds and listening also gives me a sense of tuning in. It is not just calls but also sounds of rustling vegetation, falling fruit and sticks or flapping wings which can alert you to possible birds, especially in thick scrub. Alarm calls (by Noisy Miners in particular) often alert me to the presence of raptors up above or in the nearby foliage. If I can’t locate the source of a sound I might try triangulation ie sensing its direction from two or three different positions or I break my rule about not searching through binoculars. By looking through the narrower field of view of binoculars my ears tend to take over and direct me to where the sound is strongest.  

Making squeaky, high pitched sounds can actually attract some birds to you but so does silence. It is amazing how many birds start to show up when you just sit or stand still. I have had scrubwrens come within an arm’s length whilst doing that, but note my earlier comments about clothing colours.

MOVEMENT is probably the second most important factor for me, and it is usually related to sound. It is amazing how even a brightly coloured bird such as a Rainbow Lorikeet can remain unseen until it moves. Be patient, focus on the general area and wait for movement.

CONTRAST in colours and shapes can also be very useful. For example when looking out to sea the white of some species really shows up against the ocean. However as mentioned before even brightly coloured species can be difficult to detect and movement, SHAPE and SILHOUETTE are often their giveaways. Shape and silhouette can contrast to surrounding branches, twigs and leaves. However Frogmouths are masters at making their shape actually appear to be part of a branch on which they are sitting. As outlined below shapes of wings, tails, bodies, bills etc, which might only be seen in silhouette, can all be very important aids to identifying birds. is if you When looking for highly camouflaged species ie where contrasts are not obvious, I might again break my rule about not searching through binoculars. I saw my first Chestnut-breasted Quail-Thrush in red, stony Mulga country by doing just that. I hadn’t noticed any movement but for some reason looked at a particular area through binos and there it was, the closer sharper view cancelled out some of the camouflage effects.

SHADOWS moving across the ground have often alerted me to various species particularly my beloved raptors. A related tip here is that if you have the choice try to keep the sun behind you when you set out birding. That way shadows will fall in front of you and you will also be better able to see colours and features.

When I travel I research what birds might be in that area that I would like to see. I then check the guides to identify their HABITATS and try to get an idea of what their calls and behaviour may be like Again that tuning in thing, I get great satisfaction from being able to pick a piece of habitat in a new location and find that particular bird. On a trip to Uluru I was on the lookout for Banded Whitefaces amongst other species and had read that they liked recently burned areas. Sure enough I found such a patch which I checked late one evening and there they were. Another tip I have discovered for really barren outback areas is to search around even the most subtle drainage lines that will have just that bit extra vegetation, it makes sense more vegetation, more food sources, more shelter.

There are quite of lot of “Where to find birds in .... District” pamphlets in tourist information centres and web sites that will give you specific LOCATIONS and associated species. There are ones for the Tweed, Ballina, Lismore, Coffs, New England and Kyogle districts for instance. There are also regionally specific books that you might get through the library eg Thomas and Thomas for sites across Australia, Nielsen for Nth Qld, Donato et al and Goodfellow for the Northern Territory.

PHOTO: Where to find birds leaflets are available from many tourist outlets.

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