Hello all,
I agree with all the good advice already given by others on this topic and
just wish to add: with spotlighting don't expect too much and don't give up
too soon - just enjoy the magic of being out in the bush at night, listen
as much as looking, and if you've chosen your habitat well, sooner or later
you will be rewarded with something exciting.
Like any wildlife observation, it also helps to be reasonably quiet - I
find that when spotlighting alone I consistently see and hear more than
when with a group. However, during winter this year I led a series of
spotlight walks for local residents here in the Blue Mountains and each
walk we saw at least something of interest - not necessarily birds every
time but possums, gliders, a bandicoot, frogs and even spiders (which can
be picked out from a surprising distance by their eyes which shine like
little jewels in the spotlight). One night we had a couple of
Owlet-nightjars attracted to the beam of the spotlight where they hawked
for insects.
The period immediately after dusk is often when animals are most active. It
can be a wonderful experience to be in the forest as night falls and listen
to the "night shift" come to life. Position yourself in good habitat at
sunset and wait. I'll never forget being in a tall forest surrounded by
several Greater Gliders emerging from their hollows, moving around the
trees and then hearing the "whoosh" as they glide across the gaps for
considerable distances, right above my head. I had actually been trying to
locate a Sooty Owl that I had been hearing in the area earlier this year,
but that night it didn't seem to matter that I didn't find the owl.
There is a wealth of very useful information on spotlighting techniques and
equipment on the Birding-Aus archives. I highly recommend using a dimmer
switch such as is available on the Lightforce battery packs as it enables
you to regulate the light output according to the situation, avoid damage
to the animals' eyesight and conserve battery power at the same time.
It can be very difficult to motivate yourself to leave the comfort of your
home at night and go out into the bush, especially in winter, but once you
do it's often an exhilarating experience!
Cheers
Carol
Carol Probets
Blue Mountains NSW
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