Hi,
Are we birders, twitchers etc a rare
species or what? I've been fortunate enough to go birding in many parts of
Australia and in my home city (Sydney) over the last few years. Notable sites
included Kangaroo Is, Rottnest Is., Capertee NSW, Ormiston Gorge, Lamington
National Pk. I've frequented my home zone of Royal National Pk, Botany Bay NP.,
Shell Pt Botany Bay, plus my work zone of all reserves and parks on the lower
North Shore. I've also taken my 'nocs with me when playing golf on various
courses around Australia
- and yet (not counting society field trips and
P&W rangers), I have never ever encountered another birder,
twitcher, or other type of birdwatcher in the wild! Given that I spend (I
reckon) on average 18 hrs a week doing this, as a statistical sample I would
have to conclude, in the absence of these websites and literature, that most of
you are only sociable or armchair birders> Please explain!
Even on Botany Bay at Ramsgate, my wife and myself have had
hours of ecstatic enjoyment of the yellow-tailed cockatoos (which are by the way
in good attendance now at the southern stand of radiata pines), whilst dozens of
other people or picknickers milled-by. Other people seem to pass by without even
a glance of interest, no inkling of the wonderful antics before them at
straight-ahead eye level (with birds flying to old man banksias or between the
pines). Not the slightest interest!
Regards
Bruce Roubin
