birding-aus

Hoopoe at Broome

To: Joy Tansey <>
Subject: Hoopoe at Broome
From: Denise Goodfellow <>
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:24:36 +0930
Sorry Joy, I wasn¹t having a shot at you, rather answering Philip, and
should have worded my reply more carefully.

I really liked your story as well ­ you expressed your happiness in your
expedition beautifully. I well remember crazy things I¹ve done on the spur
of the moment. (although they differ a bit from yours).  Like accepting a
job shooting buffalo, or dancing Zorba the Greek with a principal member of
the Kirov Ballet (after too many brown vodkas, I might add); spending hours
standing up to my knees in mangrove mud (once at midnight) waiting for
Chestnut Rail.

I often guide birders who like you, have that joy of discovery, and I share
it with them.  

A major reason many of those I guide, and American respondents to my
questionnaire, watch birds is to ³feel a special connection with the
environment.²    And I do my best to help them make that connection,
sometimes aided by my Aboriginal relatives.   Quite recently a relative ,
Una, and I took American writer, Jonathon Franzen, to Spirit Dog Dreaming in
western Arnhem Land.  He saw two birds, one a Whistling Kite (and you¹d know
how common they are) and a Sandstone Shrike-thrush.  It wasn¹t so much the
birds that made an impression on Jon, but that they appeared to be duetting,
their songs echoing around the escarpment walls.  And in that place ­ you
might not know but the spirit dog is a thylacine.  And then there were the
red ochre rings around all the trees  standing in the white sand ­ a senior
traditional owner had died.  It seemed to be the ultimate sendoff !

However, Jon nearly spoiled the moment when he went to squat by the water¹s
edge.  Later thinking about it I thought from the look on his face that he
was going to meditate.  One does not do such a thing so near a pool occupied
by a large, hungry crocodile.  Una and I screamed a warning and dragged him
away   Despite that rather dramatic ending I doubt that Jon will forget
those few hours.  

if your day was as awesome then good on you.
Denise 

on 14/11/11 2:08 PM, Alistair McKeough at  wrote:

> What a ridiculous (and sanctimonious) comment. Does anyone seriously think
> that the planes won't be flying because one person doesn't buy a ticket?
> 
> Even if they wouldn't have, what right does that give people to take a lovely
> anecdote that somebody chooses to share about their own life
> and politicise it? I wish all the self-appointed "carbon
> conscious" proselytism people would just live the way they want and otherwise
> remain silent. 
> 
> Thank you for sharing a lovely story Joy - it sounds like a wonderful trip & a
> couple of brilliant birds! 
> 
> Alistair 
> 
> 
> 
> On 14 November 2011 15:20, Denise Goodfellow <>
> wrote:
>> Phillip
>> that's a very thoughtful answer.  I know that not all who go racing off
>> after some vagrant or another are not necessarily pathological collectors.
>> However, there are some I really do wonder about.  One of the questions I
>> ask in my PhD questionnaire on American birders is whether they've ever felt
>> themselves in danger while birding.  Quite a number have - they've mostly
>> been held up at gunpoint, robbed or kidnapped in Central or South America.
>> 
>> I've found myself in danger quite a few times without putting myself there
>> on purpose.
>> 
>> I'd like to know how many members of Birding Aus would drop everything to
>> see a new bird, all else being equal.
>> 
>> John's point about carbon emissions is also valid as far as I'm concerned.
>> Yes, planes will continue to fly to Broome whether birders are on them or
>> not.  But shouldn't we all be setting examples of restraint and good
>> behaviour to others?  That's why Michael and I don't have a cat, and why our
>> electricity usage at home is 1/3 the Australian average.
>> 
>> We may have little impact even in our own neighbourhood, but that doesn't
>> mean we should stop trying.
>> 
>> Denise
>> --
>> Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow B.A. Grad.Dip.Arts
>> 1/7 Songlark Street, Bakewell NT 0832, AUSTRALIA
>> Ph. 61 08 89 328306
>> Mobile: 04 386 50 835
>> 
>> Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant
>> PhD Candidate (Southern Cross University, NSW)
>> Interpreter/transcriber, Lonely Planet Guide to Aboriginal Australia
>> Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia
>> 
>> http://www.denisegoodfellow.com.au
>> http://www.earthfoot.org
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming
>> www.fatbirder.com/ <http://www.fatbirder.com/>
>> For copies of Birds of Australia¹s Top End or Quiet Snake Dreaming, visit
>> amazon.com <http://amazon.com>
>> http://www.facebook.com/Wildlife.Tourism.Australia
>> http://wildlifetourism.org.au
>> 
>> "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him
>> to hold in higher regard those who think alike
>> than those who think differently."
>> (Nietzsche)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> on 14/11/11 12:20 PM, Philip Veerman at  wrote:
>> 
>>> > Sure it is fun to go on an adventure like that if you can afford it and
>>> > the bird is one worth seeing. It is a nice story. I also think the
>>> > carbon offset is tokenism but it is at least something. What raised my
>>> > curiosity though is the mention "and the chance to see it in Australia".
>>> > Yes that decision possibly emits less carbon etc and possibly costs
>>> > rather less than to see one where it normally lives. (As I wrote before
>>> > I saw two of them in China and if you pick your time, airfares to China
>>> > are likely a lot less expensive than quick purchased Melbourne to
>>> > Broome, but of course there are many other greater risks and
>>> > considerations.) I wrote long ago that I would rather see a Secretary
>>> > bird on the plains of Africa than in Canberra. I may be misunderstanding
>>> > but think the implied suggestion somewhat curious that it is nicer to
>>> > see a bird where it ought not to be, than in its usual habitat and
>>> > range.
>>> >
>>> > I wonder does it work the other way? If someone found a colony of
>>> > Gouldian Finches near Port Moresby PNG, would Australian birders rather
>>> > go there to see them than try their luck in northern Australia.
>>> >
>>> > Philip
>>> > Kambah ACT
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > -----Original Message-----From: 
>>> >  On Behalf Of Joy Tansey
>>> > Sent: Monday, 14 November 2011 9:57 AM To: 'birding-aus' Subject:
>>> > [Birding-Aus] Hoopoe at Broome
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > HI All,
>>> >
>>> > In a moment of sanity I decided  I couldn't resist the call of the
>>> > number 1 bird on my bucket list of birds I must see before I go .....
>>> > and the chance to see it in Australia. So in a mad 23 hours from front
>>> > door to front door I made a day trip from Melbourne to Broome. I spent
>>> > more time flying than on the ground in Broome, but by 10.45am Sunday
>>> > morning I was in place and restlessly pacing up and down at Roebuck
>>> > roadhouse. By lunchtime I had the hoopoe and spent a pleasant hour
>>> > watching, filming and phoning people to brag. By 1pm I was on my way to
>>> > check a few waders and with advice from Chris Hassell ringing in my ears
>>> > was able to get equally crippling views and photos (to my standard) of
>>> > the Semi-palmated Plover. Then it was back to the airport and head home,
>>> > with an awesome day to remember.
>>> >
>>> > Cheers,
>>> >
>>> > Joy Tansey
>>> >
>>> > 60 Myers Parade
>>> >
>>> > Altona Meadows Vic 3028
>>> >
>>> > ph: 03 9315 6595
>>> >
>>> > ===============================
>>> >
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>>> > send the message:
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>>> > to: 
>>> >
>>> > http://birding-aus.org
>>> > ===============================
>> 
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