Join us for a live recording of Local Big Year Celebration 2024. This episode features the stories of birdwatchers who participated in Local Big Year 2024 and the delights that come from paying attention to neighbourhood birds.

Hugh Possingham is currently the co-chief councillor of The Biodiversity Council, and Vice-President of BirdLife Australia. He has devoted his life to stopping habitat loss around the world. He completed a PhD in Mathematics and Ecology at Oxford University in the UK and this led to a career in universities in the USA and Australia. He has mainly worked as a university professor and is currently at the University of Queensland. He also served two years at Chief Scientist of Queensland and four years as Chief Scientist of the Nature Conservancy. Hugh has over 1000 peer-reviewed scientific publications and his list of achievements goes on and on. Amongst all of this, he still likes to go birding at Oxley Creek Common in Brisbane.

Jo Bangles is a graphic designer, bird noticer, eco worrier (yes, worry-er), and occasional adventurer. She lives on the Surf Coast, very close to a small wetland she affectionately calls The Swamp. Her Local Big Year area started at the Swamp but quickly expanded to include the streets she walks down to get there. Her spark bird was a hummingbird she encountered on a deserted beach in Mexico over 20 years ago. It was a truly magical encounter!

Sophie Walker is bird enthusiast, and self reported “very average birder”, who uses birding as an excuse to get outside in the fresh air and spend time in nature. She works as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit, and so self care and hobbies like birding are a great way for her to wind down and reset her body clock after shift work. You can catch Sophie distracted by birds almost anywhere she goes and regardless of how “common” the bird might be, she likes them all!

Links:

* Weekend Birder on YouTube - youtube.com/@WeekendBirder

* How to do a Local Big Year guide - weekendbirder.com/how-to-guides/how-to-do-a-local-big-year

* Hugh Possingham on Instagram - @hugepossum/

* Jo Bangles on Instagram - @mojoxposed

* Sophie Walker on Instagram - @sophiealice08

* Set up eBird alerts - ebird.org/alerts

* Bassian Thrush recording by Marc Anderson licenced from wildambience.com

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drive one hour south of Sydney for a walk and some birdwatching. This episode is about the joys of a local patch and listening out for the Rockwarbler.

Kylie Savidge has been a keen bird noticer since childhood when her mother would often point out birds of interest. In later years, she became more interested in noticing the birds of her community - Wollondilly Shire in SSW Sydney. Joining Birdlife and social media birding groups has expanded Kylie’s knowledge and interest in a wider diversity of Australia’s birdlife. Raptors and robins have a special place in her heart and she trusts that continuing her bird noticing will expand her list of favourite birds.

Links:

* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/places

* Cape Barren Goose recording by Ian Woxvold (XC603281) - xeno-canto.org

* Rock Warbler recording by Greg McLachlan (XC380577) - xeno-canto.org

* Black-faced Monarch recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover how ecosystems are healing after the Black Summer fires. This episode is about protecting and restoring nature on private land, the recovery of local owls and the Black-faced Monarch.

As Conservation Programs Manager for the East Gippsland branch of Trust for Nature, Ben Willliams’ work revolves around helping private land owners protect their habitat, forever. He conducts many bird surveys on covenanted land across a range of landscapes, from Saltmarsh to the Alps as well as measuring a multitude of habitat throughout the region, assessing quality of forests post the 2019-20 bushfires. Ben’s father used to keep a wide variety of birds (mostly Parrots) in the 80s and my love for birds and other wild things stemmed from there. Ben now spends his weekends looking for, and photographing the many of the hidden wonders that call East Gippsland home.

Links:

* Trust for Nature website - trustfornature.org.au

* Trust for Nature on Facebook - @TrustforNatureVictoria

* Trust for Nature on Instagram - @trustfornature

* Ben on Instagram - @wild_east_gippsland

* Episode 70 - Birding in East Gippsland with Luca - weekendbirder.com/episodes/70-birding-in-east-gippsland-with-luca

* Black-faced Monarch recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adventure around Mount Annan with an experienced photographer. This episode is about the joys of visiting a garden regularly and the Little Grass Bird.

Glenn Smith is an accomplished wildlife photographer. For the last 48 years, with the last 18 years getting more serious, Glenn has specialised in flora, fauna and fungi. Glenn spends most of his time photographing in the Australian Botanic Gardens, Mount Annan (Southwest of Sydney). He is a big advocate of ethical birding and his photos are captured using ethical techniques. Glenn often gives talks at photography clubs and bird observers clubs, and he also teaches photography workshops. Come rain, hail or shine, you’ll find him most Saturdays under his leather hat throughout the 416 hectares of the Gardens.

Links:

* Glenn’s website - glennsmithphotography.com.au

* Glenn on Facebook - @GlennSmithPhotographyWorkshops

* Glenn on Instagram - @glennrsmith66

* Glenn on Threads - @Threadsglennrsmith66

* Australian Gardens Mount Annan website - botanicgardens.org.au/australian-botanic-garden-mount-annan

* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/places

* Little Grassbird recordings by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet the creators of a board game about Australia’s birds. This episode is about a lively game of sabotage, strategy and luck… and the Dusky Woodswallow.

Chris Bury is an artist working out of Hobart nipaluna and Corey Graham works in hospitality on the Freycinet Peninsula of Tasmania lutruwita. They along with friends Leigh Ellis, Julia Stone and Thomas Friend have developed A Game Called Birds, a board game that features Australian birds with a focus on Tasmanian species. They hope the game will bring people together and stir up conversation about Australian birds and some of their dangers.

Links:

* Website - agamecalledbirds.com.au

* Facebook - @agamecalledbirds

* Instagram - @agamecalledbirds

* TikTok - @agamecalledbirds

* Dusky Woodswallow recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

* Weekend Birder Google Map - weekendbirder.com/places

* Weekend Birder merch - weekendbirder.com/store

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uncover the surprising truths about bird mimicry and vocal learning. This episode is about the hidden talents of Australian birds.

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.

** New WONDER t-shirt out now - weekendbirder.com/store

Links:

* Vicky on Twitter - @avianbehaviour

* Vicky on Instagram - @avianbehaviour

* Vicky at the Animal Ecology Lab - animalecologylab.org/victoria-austin.html

Submit your bird mimic recordings:

* Gregory Andrews magpie mimic recording via 7news - 7news.com.au/news/nsw/magpie-filmed-mimicking-fire-truck-siren-as-bushfires-ravage-nsw-and-victoria-c-629563

* Merlin Sound ID - merlin.allaboutbirds.org/sound-id/

* BIrdNet app - https://birdnet.cornell.edu/

* iNaturalist app - inaturalist.org/posts/6315-recording-bird-calls

* Xeno-canto website - xeno-canto.org

Vicky’s recommendations:

* A First Book of Australian Backyard Bird Songs by Fred Van Gessel - au.newhollandpublishers.com/authors/fred-van-gessel.html

* Where the Lyrebird Lives by Vicky Conley and Max Hamilton - windyhollowbooks.com.au/products/where-the-lyrebird-lives

* Busy Beaks by Sarah Allen - sarahallen.com.au/shop/busy-beaks

* Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker - illustrated.com.au/product/bowerbirdblues/13

* Google Scholar - scholar.google.com.au

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover a unique pocket of Western Australia. This episode is about living in regional Australia, Red-winged Fairywrens and birdwatching with an ADHD brain.

Lucy Curtin is a bird fanatic living in Margaret River, Western Australia. As a novice birdwatcher, she has enjoyed this very podcast to broaden her knowledge, and feel connected to the birding community around Australia. Lucy loves all birds of all sizes, and has recently started photographing them to share her experiences, as well as try to remember the amazing bird moments she has. Having been diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Lucy has been using birdwatching as a way to calm her mind and to help build a regular routine. Lucy, her wife, and her family walk with appreciation and respect on Wadandi Boodja.

Links:

* Weekend Birder merch - weekendbirder.com/store

* Weekend Birder map of places to visit - weekendbirder.com/places

* Lucy on Instagram - @birdsoftanahmarah

* Tanah Marah website - tanahmarah.com.au

* Tanah Marah on Instagram - @tanahmara

* Tanah Marah on Facebook - @tanahmarahmargaretriver

* Red-winged Fairywren recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get a gentle understanding of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This episode is about the current situation with avian influenza (bird flu), the impact on wild birds and the steps being taken to protect them.

Dr. Michelle Wille is a senior research fellow at the Centre for Pathogen Genomics, University of Melbourne, and has an honorary appointment at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza. Her research is primarily focussed on the ecology and evolution of avian influenza viruses, and she has contributed to Australia’s preparedness for HPAI and response to the domestic H7 outbreaks in Victoria. Beyond influenza, Dr. Wille is also interested in other viruses found in wild birds such as coronaviruses, and more recently, understanding the entire virus communities found in wild birds, including viruses never described before.

Links:

* Michelle’s website - michellewille.com

* Michelle on Twitter/X - @duckswabber

* Michelle’s Avian Influenza resources - michellewille.com/avian-influenza-resources/

* Biodiversity Council’s webinar - biodiversitycouncil.org.au/news/insights-from-our-bird-flu-webinar

* Wildlife Health Australia website - wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Incidents/Incident-Information/high-pathogenicity-avian-influenza-information

* Advice for people who encounter sick or dead wild birds - wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/Incidents/WHA_Avian_Influenza_Wild_Bird_Disease_Notification_General.pdf

* Advice for bird banders, wildlife rangers and researchers - wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/Incidents/HPAI_Advice_for_bird_banders_wildlife_rangers_and_researchers.pdf

* Advice for veterinarians and other animal health professionals - wildlifehealthaustralia.com.au/Portals/0/Incidents/HPAI_Advice_for_veterinarians_and_animal_health_professionals.pdf

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Enter the world of one of Australia’s iconic city and rainforest birds. This episode is about the fascinating mating, nesting and hatching behaviour of the Australian Brush-turkey, and what you can do to help it thrive in your neighbourhood.

Dr Ann Göth was born in Austria and began birdwatching at an early age. Her career as an ecologist started with a conservation project for an endangered megapode in Tonga and later led her to Australia. There, she worked as a lecturer at Macquarie University and served as a Threatened Species Officer for the NSW government. Currently, she shares her passion for nature and science as a high school teacher in Sydney. For her PhD and in the years following, she focused on the Australian Brush-turkey, particularly its chicks' behavior and development. Recently, she has published three books: one about Brush-turkeys, a travel memoir of her adventures in Tonga, and an illustrated picture book featuring a Brush-turkey. In 2008, she co-authored the book ‘Mound-builders’ with Professor Darryl Jones.

Links:

* Ann’s website - anngothauthor.com

* Ann on Facebook - @anngoth

* Ann on Instagram - @anngothauthor

* Ann on TikTok - @ann.gth

* Ann on Twitter/X - @anngothauthor

* Australian Brush-turkey recording by Marc Anderson, licenced from wildambience.com

* Subscribe to the Monthly Letter - weekendbirder.com/monthly-letter

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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-alexandrae

Weekend Birder online:

* Website - weekendbirder.com

* Instagram - @weekend.birder

* Facebook - @weekend.birder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.