Bird watching

Ris · Member

Bird watching

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Rjs - there is the Morcombe' Australian Birds - costs about $30. My wife prefers books to the app as it is often easier to do cross referencing but the app has the calls as well. See www.michaelmorcombe.com.au
There is also another (can't recall at the moment - it's on an older laptop at home) but that is available by only on DVD. The colours aren't as good as Morcombe's.

Have a look at www.birdlifetownsville.org.au - they have an excellent site (we're members). Also www.birdlifeaustralia.org.au

Warren

the rocket · Guru

Cannot help with your question , just thought i would pop in n say hi.

Desert Dweller · Guru

Pizzey & Knight is a great app. itunes.apple.com/au/app/pizzey-knight-birds-australia/id714625973

The previously mentioned Morcombe is good too.

If you love birds & photography you should subscribe to this, you'll love it: http://www.feathersandphotos.com.au/

We joined 7 years ago at member number 56, it now has 2500 members.

-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 01:12:09 PM

Papou · Senior Member

Birds of Australia :).. Helpfull for identifying Australian Birds as well as their sounds.
Paid app but worth the $$ spent..

Possum3 · Guru

Local charity shops tend to get a few reference books on many topics - Always worth a browse to get something you haven't seen before. Bird and animals pictorials and travel coffee table books seem to abound - for a dollar or two they can be a good read and not too costly to leave in the laundry room when finished.

Desert Dweller · Guru

We're members of Birdlife Australia, the two apps mentioned are perfect for what you need & don't cost much at all.

Reed · Senior Member

It is snowing in northern New Mexico where we are spending a week with our older son and family at their spot at 7800' in the Sangre de Cristos. There is 20 cm on ground.

A Black-chinned Hummingbird showed up at the feeder. Read up on hummers and they can survive cold and snow if they are able to forage
for food. Their main food is small insects and arthropods along with flower nectar/pine sap etc. Using a 1-1 water to sugar mixture since:

1. It does not freeze to -3 C.
2. The birds need all the energy they can get
3. They do not need to ingest any more cold fluid than is necessary.

Need to put a better cover over the feeder so that the feeding ports are not clogged with snow.

Hope he makes it.

Reed and Elaine

Reed · Senior Member

Hummer is still coming to feeder. Weather is clear and warmer. They only weigh three grams and heart rate can go up to 1260 per minute. They are among the most
beautiful of birds. The Mayans and Aztecs considered them as symbols of aggression for their gods. The black-chinned and their closely related Ruby-throat migrate
up to 2000 km. Some Ruby-throats do an 800 km migration across the Caribbean. They double their fat mass before this 20 hour flight. We were in Costa Rica
four years ago and we mainly saw Ruby-throat migrantss
Reed and Elaine

Warren-Pat_01 · Guru

Marissa, You & your hubby can join in as a guest with any activities that are offered by any branch - except camps (they are covered by insurance paid by members).

It is one way he might be able to find what is around the area you are in or visiting. Generally here in Townsville we offer guests three free activities before they are asked to join (BirdLife Australia). BirdLife Australia is also affiliated with BirdLife International - if you are overseas travellers.

Most of us aren't twitchers - just admirers of nice birds & are willing to share our knowledge with visitors/novices. Our members age from 8 years to 90 years old.

Warren

Birdo · Veteran Member

Hi Marissa
Glad to see you are keen birders.
As others have mentioned before both Pissey and Knight and Michael Morcombe are very good.
I would like to invite you to our Birdlife group on the Gold Coast as Warren has invited you to his group.
The Gold Goast group has been going out every Thursday for 40 years and i have been attending for the past 22years .
Through ignorance a lot of people by pass the Gold Coast for bird watching but they are the ones that miss out.
Our group averages around 80 species each Thursday and in 2016 we sighted 234 species on our Thursday outings.
As a matter of fact of the 24 Raptors species found in Australia we have sighted 20 of these over the years on our Thursday outings.
Three years ago we sighted 10 Raptor species on one day.
I live on the Gold Coast and at the moment I have a pair of Pied Oystercatchers with chicks on one side of the house and a pair of Ospreys and a pair of Brahminy Kites breeding on the other side.
May i suggest you join your local branch of Birdlife Australia.
Cheers.