Sit Down With Sam

I’ve really been getting into birds lately.

I’ve always appreciated animals and nature, my love of birds probably starting back when I’d watch and feed the family chickens as they humorously clucked around the backyard.

I started to enjoy the call if a bird more and get more of a kick out of watching them flit through the sky or shuffle along the grass.

I bought books, uncovered an old pair of binoculars and went on a few birdwatching walks while I lived in Brisbane and all were enjoyable, but the information never really stuck.

I posed this to Matt Killeen when we went birdwatching on Friday to complete his daily count for the Aussie Bird Count, an initiative of Birdlife Australia allowing them to get an idea of the health and quantity of birds all over Australia.

As someone who has only been into birding for less than six months, Matt seemed to have a wealth of knowledge, and gave me a few handy tips.

Firstly, he said rather than studying books, it could be more effective to start with taking a photo of some birds then going home and researching that specific bird.

He also told me a few hotspots around the Burdekin, particularly Horseshoe Lagoon, so I’m looking forward to packing the binoculars and the camera and going on a bit of an expedition sometime soon.

I’ll be sure to share my newfound passion in the Burdekin Birding Facebook group, where local bird lovers post photos, questions and information about local birdlife.

Flick to page 27 for the full story.

I’d also like to once again thank Gracie Hosie for her time and efforts last week as she engaged in some work experience for Burdekin Life.

Gracie’s provided us with an update of what she’s been up to since leaving the Burdekin, so check out page 15 to hear from her!

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