About MeI'm a homeschooled birder and dog lover in the Tasman region of New Zealand. I love going to new places and seeing new birds. I am a bit disappointed in NZ lack a of passerines, but we have plenty of pelagic (sea) birds! I'm not a world birder,but I don't care. If I was I would have to leave my Shadow behind. Shadow's my beloved dog.
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Please check out my older blog HERE It has many birding stories etc!
Me and Birding |
My interest in birds started when I was probably 7, I got a yellowhammer out of some netting over my parents' veggie patch rather than the usual House Sparrow (Yes, I did know their name). So I looked at a terrible New Zealand bird book and a small UK field guide, found a Yellowhammer in both (rather than the NZ one did not have Cirl Bunting) From then on, I was hooked!
At one point I was confident that I'd seen an English Robin on a gorse bush ( I don't know how old I was, but there was a time I thought there were only two countries, England and the United States). Looking back I'd say it would have to be a Chaffinch. I loved walking to the neighbors dam to see the waterfowl. At the time I only knew of Geese (Greylag Geese), Mallard, Grey duck (though I never even tried to spot them), Canada Goose, and Black Swan. But there were probably Australasian Shoveler, New Zealand Scaup and various shags there too. Also along the walks around our land and the road, I would see Hawks (Australasian Harrier), Thrush (I always call them Song Thrush now), female Paradise Shelt-duck (Paradise Shelduck), Turkeys(I loved them), Pheasants (Ring-necked Pheasant), Waxeyes (Silvereye) and Pukeko. In front of our house we had a lumpy paddock, and after the rain a pond would form. I really liked it when the "Grey Herons" (White-faced Herons. Grey Heron is the fault of a UK Field Guide) came to it! Now I know a lot more about birds and all their names! I'm a Birds New Zealand Member (I like calling it OSNZ better)! |
What is BIRDING |
Coming soon!
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