83 Birdwatching Stories - with the Local Big Year crew

Catch up with Cezary and Leo as they head for home. This episode is about two friends and who are riding their bikes around Australia to raise money and see as many birds as possible.Leo Norman and Cezary Carmichael are on the road, on two wheels, on a grand adventure. The plan is to spend their gap year riding the country and enjoying birdwatching along the way. They are combining their efforts to document the unique cultural and ecological importance of birds in Australia whilst helping to build two schools in Timor Leste.Links:* How to donate to Spend it Well (mention Weekend Birder) - spenditwell.com/6730-2/* Two Birders Two Bikes on Instagram - @twobirderstwobikes* Cezary and Leo’s eBird profile - https://ebird.org/profile/MTA2NzU5NQ/AU* Weekend Birder map of places to visit - weekendbirder.com/places* Noisy Scrubbird recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com* Black Grasswrens recording by Nigel Jackett (XC324921) - xeno-canto.org/species/Amytornis-housei* Princess Parrots recording by Nigel Jackett (XC94034) - xeno-canto.org/species/Polytelis-alexandraeWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about bird evolution from an ecologist and best-selling author. This episode is about where songbirds originated from, Australia’s ‘woodpecker’ and other fun birds, and the simple joys of being out in the bush.Tim Low is a biologist and best-selling author of seven books, four of which have won prizes. His most popular book, ‘Where Song Began’, won best general non fiction at the Australian Book Industry Awards. And ‘Feral Future’ inspired the formation of the Invasive Species Council, a conservation group that campaigns for better policies on introduced species. This year, Tim was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to conservation and environmental awareness.  Links:* Subscribe to the Monthly Letter - weekendbirder.com/monthly-letter* Tim’s website - timlow.com* Tim’s books - timlow.com/books/* Tim on Twitter/X - @timlow5* Brown Thornbill recording by Ramit Singal (XC571148) - xeno-canto.org* Chestnut-crowned Babbler recordings by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.comWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet two participants of a sport especially for birdwatchers. This episode is about competitive birdwatching, the magic of the Hunter region of NSW and how birds can bring us together.Mick Roderick is a Twitchathon tragic. In 2023, he notched up his 25th consecutive Twitchathon – all of them in the main race. To maintain this, he twice flew back from year-long overseas backpacking trips to partake in those years’ Twitchathons, as well as being ‘close to home’ when his first child’s due-date was nearing. Mick works at BirdLife Australia and is the current Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator, as well as being the current Vice President of the Hunter Bird Observers Club. Mick’s other passion is seabirds and he has been running pelagic birding trips since 2010. In between, he has birded on 6 continents as a ‘backpacking birder’ and knows full well how heavy field guides can get inside a backpack (especially South American ones!).Bastian Fox Phelan is a writer of memoir and environmental essays from Mulubinba Newcastle, Australia. Bastian writes about bodies, binaries, place, and environment. Bastian's debut memoir, How to Be Between, was published by Giramondo in 2022. She is a PhD candidate in Creative Nonfiction at the University of Newcastle, writing an eco-memoir about exploring local ecologies. Bastian participated in the Twitchathon the same year that she discovered the joys of birdwatching and has been hooked ever since.Links:* BIGNET Twitchathon (ACT & NSW) website - twitchathon.com.au* BIGNET Twitchathon (ACT & NSW) on Instagram - instagram.com/twitchathon.nswact/* BIGNET Twitchathon (ACT & NSW) on Facebook - facebook.com/groups/451411113051359/* Landcare Victoria Twitchathon website - chuffed.org/project/landcare-victoria-twitchathon-2024* Hunters Observers Club website - hboc.org.au* Hunter Observers Club on Instagram - @hunterbirders* Hunter Observers Club on Facebook - @hunterbirding* Awakbakal Language Program - seasons.awabakallanguage.org.au/calendarWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get to know some of Australia’s overlooked birds. This episode is about the many species of pigeons and doves that are native to Australia, a bunch of rare parrots and the delights of the Aussie Bird Count.Sean Dooley is the National Public Affairs Manager for BirdLife Australia, author of The Big Twitch, and former holder of the Australian Big Year twitching record. For many years, Sean and his team have been working tirelessly to ensure that birds are protected and loved by Australians. That's why he is affectionately known as 'the Birdman' and we reckon he’s a national treasure.Links:* Aussie Bird Count - aussiebirdcount.org.au* Sean’s Pigeons vs Doves video - birdlife.org.au/news/what-bird-is-that-pigeons-vs-doves* Sean’s Crested Pigeons vs. Topnknot Pigeons video - birdlife.org.au/news/what-bird-is-that-crested-pigeons-vs-topknot-pigeons/* Weekend Birder Google Map - maps.app.goo.gl/idqxtcxUDmUkDi1Y7* Spinifex Pigeon recording by Christopher Watson (XC642946) - xenocanto.org* Sean on Twitter - @Twitchathon* Sean on Instagram - @sean.dooley.birdman* BirdLife Australia on Facebook - @BirdlifeAustralia* BirdLife Australia on Instagram - @BirdlifeOz* BirdLife Australia on Twitter - @BirdlifeOzWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover how to take your nature experiences to new heights. This episode is about the difference between awe and wonder, and how each emotion can positively impact your daily life.Karen Jones is a passionate and award-winning environmental educator. She blends three decades of national park ranger and local government sustainability experiences to reveal the scientific evidence behind one of the most craved human experiences - awe.Links:* Karen’s website - tribalfrog.com.au* Japanese Woodpecker recording by Peter Boesman (XC285938 ) - xeno-canto.orgWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Weekend Birder is back for Season 3! Here’s a sneak peak of what's coming up.If you like birds, you've come to the right place. Weekend Birder celebrates the stories and smarts of everyday people and their unique connections to birds. Independently produced and featuring short engaging episodes, the podcast equips listeners with the knowledge and skills they need to identify birds, understand their behaviours, and enjoy spending time outside.Kirsty Costa, a bird lover and educator, created Weekend Birder podcast in 2022 to help people discover the benefits of birdwatching. Inspired by her own love of nature, Kirsty aims to make birding accessible and enjoyable for everyone.Let's connect:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear birdwatching stories from around Australia. This episode is about the joys of connecting with neighbourhood birds and the challenge of doing a Local Big Year.Local Big Year is a challenge to identify as many birds species as possible within a local geographical area in one year. Many thanks to the following Local Big Year community members for contributing to this episode - Coreena Veith, Jeremy Ringma, Jo Bangles, Kate Crock, Kylie Savidge, Marian Blake and Sophie Walker.>> Get your Weekend Birder t-shirt at weekendbirder.com/storeLinks:* Local Big Year website - weekendbirder.com/local-big-year* Coreena’s website - www.shutterbugwalkabouts.com.au* Coreena on Instagram - @in.naturephotography* Jeremy on Instagram - @jeremy_ringma* Kate's website - packupandflyaway.com* Kate on Instagram - @packupandflyaway* Kylie on Instagram - @kylie_savidge_psychic* Liz on Instagram - @yarrapenguin* Marian on Instagram - @mariankp* Sophie on Instagram - @sophiealice08Weekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn how to record bird song and use technology to identify them. This episode is about bird call ID apps, sound recording equipment and research into how baby birds learn while they are in their egg.Dr Vicky Austin is interested in bird behaviour and how birds interact with each other and their environment. She is particularly fascinated by the vocalisations of female birds. Vicky’s PhD at Western Sydney University focused on the vocalisations of female Superb Lyrebirds (such as mimicry) and how females use these sounds to protect themselves and their chicks. Vicky reckons that vocalisations of female birds are just as spectacular as males and she’s here to share what she knows.>> Subscribe to the Monthly Letter - weekendbirder.com/monthly-letterLinks:* Vicky on Twitter - @avianbehaviour* Vicky on Instagram - @avianbehaviour* Vicky at the Animal Ecology Lab - animalecologylab.org/victoria-austin.html* Flinders University - flinders.edu.au/college-science-engineering/who-we-are/ecology-evolution-environment* Lyrebird Lab - lyrebirdlab.org* Superb Lyrebird recording by Nick Talbot (XC340211) - xeno-canto.org* Superb Fairywren recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.comSound recording apps:* Merlin Bird ID app – merlin.allaboutbirds.org * BirdNet app - birdnet.cornell.edu* xeno-canto (bird sound recordings) - https://xeno-canto.orgWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Search for birds in Western Australia’s coastal heaths, wetlands, arid regions and tropical north. This episode is about the best places to go birdwatching Western Australia and some of the unique birds you might find there.Jeremy Ringma is a Shorebird Project Coordinator at BirdLife Australia. His work involves collecting shorebird survey data in order to assess population trends and support conservation efforts. He also runs workshops to help the community become citizen scientists. Jeremy grew up in Brisbane, where he completed his undergraduate studies and PhD on Australian predator threatened mammals. He started ‘birding’ properly in his early twenties after being interested in wildlife as a kid.Links:* Jeremy on Instagram - @jeremy_ringma* Weekend Birder Google Map - maps.app.goo.gl/idqxtcxUDmUkDi1Y7* BirdLife WA website - birdlife.org.au/groups/birdlife-wa/* BirdLife WA on Facebook - @birdlifewa* BirdLife WA on Instagram - @birdlifewa* Eastern Yellow Wagtail recording by Geoff Carey (XC729999) - xeno-canto.org* Shark Bay Scrubwren recording by Matthias Feuersenger (XC107871) - xeno-canto.org* Noisy Scrub-bird and Western Gerygone recordings by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.comWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adventure around Australia with two passionate birders on a gap year. This episode is about the highs and lows of riding a pushbike 15,000km around Australia to see as many birds as possible in one year.Leo Norman and Cezary Carmichael are on the road, on two wheels, on a grand adventure. The plan is to spend their gap year riding the country and enjoying birdwatching along the way. They are combining their efforts to document the unique cultural and ecological importance of birds in Australia whilst helping to build a school in Timor Leste.Imagine if every Weekend Birder listener donated $10 to Cezary and Leo’s fundraising effort? That’s over $50,000!Let’s do this - spenditwell.com/6730-2/Other links:* Two Birders Two Bikes on Instagram - @twobirderstwobikes* eBird profile - https://ebird.org/profile/MTA2NzU5NQ/AUWeekend Birder online:* Website - weekendbirder.com* Instagram - @weekend.birder* Facebook - @weekend.birder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.