Dear Peter,
Best of luck with this project -I used to teach bird classes for the
Council of Adult Education. It was very rewarding.
You have had lots of good advice already but some points I shall repeat.
I recall Graham Pizzey saying "You should do more than half your
birdwatching with your ears." He was right. Tapes etc are a great help.
In a strange or new area I am often lost and confused - I have to learn
all the new calls.
With absolute beginners it helps NOT to start with the Field Guide. Too
much in it looks like what you saw, but is restricted to Cape York or
Tasmania.
If there is a *local* birdbook or list, start with that (usually quite
cheap). Show slides or videos of what's in it - say water birds one
session, land birds the next.
When you get onto Field Guides, encourage comparison and cross-reference
between them.
Make sure everyone has a pocket-sized field notebook and say "Your
homework is to write descriptions or make sketches of three bird species
from the live bird".
Have a 'birdcall' at the end of each session - go through the list (not
necessarily the full Australian list, the local one is fine). People
call out if they saw the bird -"Any kingfishers?" "Yes, some
Kookaburras!" This also reinforces knowledge of bird groups.
Always admit it if you got a bird wrong or failed to see it at all! It
is perfectly possible to mistake an Oriole for a Wattlebird at some
angles - both have spotty wingtips.
With the black-and -white birds, the essential is to notice where the
borders of colour are - and note it down.eg. - The white on a male
WWTriller's face is just below the eye - one of the Robins has an
all-black or all-brown tail with no viisble white - never mind which
one, just note it as what to remember (Pink of course; it's also rather
heavy for a Robin: Rose hops about in trees with tail cocked, more
wren-like). Of course the 'waterline' om Willy Wagtail and Restless FC
is quite different.
Keeping a scrapbook of birds - local, Australian, worldwide - is a great
help. Th scrapbook I started at school grew into filing cabinet and it's
still useful.
Teach people how to USE binocs - nobody has two eyes of the same power,
but few people are aware of this.
Field class - start at a park with a pond or lake and some waterbirds -
they are big enough to see, and there are often quite a variety of
ducks. You can usually lure them with a little bread (wholemeal,
please). When they can tell Dusky Moorhen, Coot and Swamphen apart
(inc. young birds) they've learnt something. Telling different ducks
etc. apart is not too challenging but again, the trick is to identify
them in flight. (Shooters ID videos are also useful). So are BOCA
leaflets and other pamphlets.
Dont neglect the Gould League bird posters. It is amazing how quickly
the birds are learnt if the poster is on a wall handy to flowering
native shrubs and a birdbath.
Younger people and kids have very quick eyes and often spot things older
folk may miss - older birders however are usually better at ID. A
combination of ages is excellent.
Teach people that they will see a lot if they sit down and keep quiet -
this is a good technique for the little brown birds. Behaviour is a clue
not to neglect - eg - Whitebrowed Scrubwren is mostly low down on the
ground or close to it; Brown Thornbill a bit higher and up into treetops
(it's also the only Thornbill with a tiny tuneful phrase on the tailend
of a lot of bizzing and tizzing - but it also has quite extensive song
at times.)
As a beginner I asked an expert what Treecreeper had I seen? It had a
conspicuous wingbar.
They all have wingbars - where were you?
At Durdidwarrah(in open dry woodland west of Melbourne).
Hmm - what was it doing?
Hopping on the ground, eating something.
Then it must have been a Brown - it's the only Treecreeper that feeds on
the ground.
(I find this is still true).
A visit to a good wildlife collection or Zoo can be good value -
particularly for the hard-to-see birds like Quail, or for raptors.
(Healesville Sanctuary is very good value)
There is no system to this collection of ideas, they are just put down
at random.
All beginners know more than they think they do. To test observation, a
good question for a class is to ask how are a parrot's toes arranged
(Have you ever seen a budgie?). Just something to think about.
All best wishes. If you are enthusiastic it will rub off on your
classes.
Anthea Fleming
--- Original Message -----
> From:
> To:
> Cc:
> Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 12:54 PM
> Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] Tips for Beginners
>
> Russell - if it doesn't get through, don't bother posting again.
>
> Sorry to keep sending this - trying to get it through without major
> domo.
> Thanks to everyone so far that is given hints.
>
> Will try this again.
>
> I am thinking about running a course at the local community college as
> an
> introduction to bird-watching. I will probably run it as a couple of
> hours
> in the evening on basics, then a couple of sunday mornings in the
> local
> national parks to give some practice to the theory.
>
> --------------------------------------------
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