What is your passion and how did it develop?
I’m very passionate about everything to do with birds. I have always had an appreciation of nature, but I really started to get into bird watching about 4 years ago whilst working, funnily enough, on a mine site (which is not particularly well known for their birds). The supervisor I was paired with was also a birder and he pointed out a Jacky Winter (a type of robin) – I was almost instantly a birder! Moments like these are often referred to as your “spark” bird; the one that sparks the passion, and for me it really has become quite the passion. I’ve become somewhat entranced in everything birds, which means that I draw huge amounts of pleasure from any interaction I have with our feathered friends.
How much of your time does it consume?
The thing with bird watching is that you’re always doing it. Birds are terrific indicator species and are found in every single habitat on the planet, so they’re always around. I guess passively my time is always taken up with birding but outside of work, I usually spend 5-6hrs a week watching, listening to, or photographing birds.
How does this enrich your life? What do you enjoy about it?
The whole birding experience is made enjoyable by several things. Birding is primarily an outdoors activity, so you get to appreciate the outdoors and nature more broadly when you’re out watching birds. I’m what you call a lister, which means I keep a record of almost all the birds I see, or hear, and compile those observations into a ‘Life List’. This is a very enjoyable part of bird watching for me because it adds an exploratory and challenging aspect whilst allowing to travel more broadly around the LGA, state, country or even overseas to see new birds. I’m equally as enriched and happy with watching the birds in our backyard. Their behaviours and ‘personalities’ are so entertaining and fun to follow, meaning you form a sort of emotional attachment to them which is really nice.
What, if anything, does this passion and your enjoyment of it bring to your working life?
I’m fortunate enough to work in a role where a significant amount of time is spent outside in our national parks and state forests. This means I’m constantly surrounded by different birds during work time, which makes going to work so much more enjoyable and fulfilling! Seeing new species or behaviours adds an exciting element to the daily routine of work life. I’ve been given the role of the ‘bird guy’ in our broader work team, so I get sent lots of interesting pictures or descriptions of birds by my colleagues asking me to identify them.
Do you have any tips for someone considering giving this a go?
Bird watching or ‘birding’ is one of the easiest hobbies to get into. You don’t need any fancy equipment to get started because everyone already knows the common birds around their own homes or workplaces. You can start by keeping a home list of the birds that visit your garden or fly over your house and then start to look more closely at what makes them unique; any bright colours, or interesting sounds, size and behaviour all are important in understanding what exactly you are looking at.
It's about getting out there and taking the time to watch and enjoy birds for what they are – which is amazing!
