Peter Menkhorst is right. Most of us presumably haven't thought about
mammaling in the same terms as birding. The field skills need to identify
birds at a distance, at night, in cryptic disguises and difficult habitats,
etc are presumably the same as those needed to identify mammals.
However, most Australian mammals seem to want to be observed at night,
which I think adds a different level of challenge to that experienced in
most types of birding.
I actually have a mammal "list", but I have applied a bit less rigour to it
than my bird list. Lawrie Canole's thoughts certainly throw out a much
bigger challenge.
Maybe when I get through the Australian birds (and those of the rest of the
world), I will devote my spare time to looking for mammals and reach some
serious mammal listing targets instead of observing them as mostly an
incidental bonus to my bird-watching. Perhaps Peter's field guide might
provide the incentive to change tack a bit.
Chris
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