Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the Aussie Bird Count. It commences today. It is
a citizen science project and it promotes bird watching and
gives valuable data to BirdLife Australia on the health of
the Australian bird population. Bart Irwin is the spokesperson for
NTO Field and Game and he joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Get a Bart.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good morning, Katie, and congratulations to you and christ.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Oh thanks, thanks mate, thank you, thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Now Bart, tell us a bit more about this bird count.
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, it's fabulous. To get on it, you just go
under the internet or download the app on your phone.
I just use my computer. I'm not that good with apps.
And for twenty minutes a day, or as many twenty
minute periods each day as you should, just you count
(00:55):
the birds that you see, whether you see them in
your yard, whether you see them on your drive to
work or to drop the kids off at school. You
can do it as a family. When you arrive at school,
you just grab the phone and go what do we
see kids? And on the way in And it's a
really good way to be involved. I've been doing it
(01:17):
for on This will be my tenth year and for
the last nine nine of the last ten years, the
mag Boy goose has led the field in the territory.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Do you know what.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I went for a run very very early this morning,
but and that's exactly what I was thinking. The only
the only birds I saw this morning were the magpie
geese on the oval.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
At just at the school.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Near New Stuart Park, and I think you're allowed to.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Go down there and catch them. I'll get them.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
But what all that? I was the same. I got
up in the small and I have up to sometimes
up to five thousand make point gooese broost in the
trees behind us an evening because I'm just here at
how To the Park and we share a boundary with
Howard Springs Nature Reserve. And yeah they I one hundred
(02:19):
and seventy fly out over my house this morning and
along with numerous other birds. But yeah, it's just I
just love watching you can I can now tell families
and generations of birds. You'll see mum and dad up
the front, and then some yeelings behind her, and maybe
(02:42):
some two year old back then, and you can see
the different sizes of them. So that's quite interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
How cool?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Look you know, I don't know a lot about birds,
but I don't know much at all, and I probably
don't even know what most of the birds are that
are flying around the place.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I recognize the magpie.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Geese, but mate, like, if you're not an avid bird watcher,
if you don't know a huge amount you know about birds,
can you still take part? Are their different photos or
different ways that you can work out what type.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Of birds they are?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, there's a bird identifier within the app, so you
can put in some some detail about it and it
will give you a list of options, and you just
picked the one that looks the same. So it's really,
(03:33):
what would you say, intuitive and able to assist.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
What are some of the most common birds that you see?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
We've both touched on the magpie geese, but what else
do you usually see?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And some of these birds have fabulous names too.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, well they here. I see a lot of the
red colored lower keats and they generally feature in the
top three. They're flitting in and out of the mahoganese
each morning and an evening, and little Corella's you know,
the white the white parrots. Yep, I'm seeing this year.
I'm seeing a lot of self accrested cockatoos in flocks.
(04:12):
You know, normally you see them in pairs and small
groups like that. But yeah, like a flock of twenty
or thirty flew out of the reserve there this morning.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
And are they the black ones with the red No.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, that's the red black.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Very self exploded.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
The sulf a crested cockatoo is a really big white
parrot with a yellow crest.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I'm clearly an expert.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, yeah, you can, for you will be.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Maybe I need to do it to educate myself.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Just just take your phone on that run and you'll
be amazed at what you see. So I've got a
couple of drongos, spangled goes nesting up in the foxtail palm.
They build nest at the moment. Yeah, and hunters are
really waterfowl. Hannas are really good bird watchers because just
(05:12):
the beat of a wing, their heads spins around and
they look to see what it is. And we just
bird watchers that enjoy the flavor.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Mate, Does it get any more territory than a spangled
drongo in your foxtail palm.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
In Funny Bay?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Maybe they'll be, They'll be everywhere. They are a blackbird
that looks like a well, if you were down south,
it looks like a blackbird. But they've they've got a
very distinctive tail. It's got a sort of a wild
tail sort of shape to them.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I reckon, I've seen them. I reckon, I have seen
them around. Yeah, yeah, I tell you what.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
It does sound like a lot of fun. It sounds
like it'd be good fun for the family to get
involved in as well. But also there's real benefits, isn't
there Like in terms of doing this, it is actually
like it's for a good reason to be able to
sort of check on the bird population and what we've
got around the.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
NT exactly BirdLife in Australia. They compile all the data
that comes in and they give out a listing for
every state and territory on what birds were observed, and
they're comparing that data year to year just in case
there's a major drop in one species or another. And
(06:38):
with avian bird flu on the horizon, which could come
in from the wading and sure birds that migrate around
the world, this is a really valuable tool to see
if that does come in and what effects it does
(06:58):
have on different species.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, hey, but if people want to get involved.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
What's the best way that they can do that if
they go onto the internet and look up Ossie bird
count put that into their surge engine and being able
to come up.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
They register and all the tools will be there for
them to submit an account each day.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Hey, just a quick one while I'm running as well.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Very often lately I've been seeing not only the magpie geese,
but then there's sometimes like two or three of these
other ducks with like a white you know, a white bill,
And I think to myself, what are they doing with
the with the magpie geese.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, they're trying to impersonate them. They are bird Bertkan
ducks or rajashell ducks, but they're a beautiful duck. I
did have two swimming around the pool. They kept leaving,
leaving their mark there, so I threw a couple of
(07:59):
young adamant there you go. They left town.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
But I'm gonna I don't know exactly what a yawning is.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
You're gonna have to just.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Fill me at.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Mate.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
This is the most territory conversation ever, I think, and John.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
People will be loving it.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Thank you as always for having a chat with me
this morning. And no doubt we will talk again very soon. Hey,
the hunting season is underway at the moment, isn't it.
How's it been going.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
It's a bit slow to start. The geese are still
out in Kakado, Mary River and Daily River floodplains, but
they'll be drawing up quickly and then they'll come to
places like Harrison Dam and how it's swamped and so forth,
So it won't be far away, or would predict about
(08:52):
two weeks and they'll be here. And I know people
are getting a few birds here, which is great, but
it'll really swing into action within about two weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, nt Field and Game spokesman Bart Irwin. Always good
to catch up with you. Thanks so much for your
time this morning.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thanks for a getting Katie.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Thank you see ya
Now the Aussie Bird Count. It commences today. It is
a citizen science project and it promotes bird watching and
gives valuable data to BirdLife Australia on the health of
the Australian bird population. Bart Irwin is the spokesperson for
NTO Field and Game and he joins me on the line.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Get a Bart.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Good morning, Katie, and congratulations to you and christ.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Oh thanks, thanks mate, thank you, thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Now Bart, tell us a bit more about this bird count.
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well, it's fabulous. To get on it, you just go
under the internet or download the app on your phone.
I just use my computer. I'm not that good with apps.
And for twenty minutes a day, or as many twenty
minute periods each day as you should, just you count
(00:55):
the birds that you see, whether you see them in
your yard, whether you see them on your drive to
work or to drop the kids off at school. You
can do it as a family. When you arrive at school,
you just grab the phone and go what do we
see kids? And on the way in And it's a
really good way to be involved. I've been doing it
(01:17):
for on This will be my tenth year and for
the last nine nine of the last ten years, the
mag Boy goose has led the field in the territory.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Do you know what.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
I went for a run very very early this morning,
but and that's exactly what I was thinking. The only
the only birds I saw this morning were the magpie
geese on the oval.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Oh that's good.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
At just at the school.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Near New Stuart Park, and I think you're allowed to.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Go down there and catch them. I'll get them.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
But what all that? I was the same. I got
up in the small and I have up to sometimes
up to five thousand make point gooese broost in the
trees behind us an evening because I'm just here at
how To the Park and we share a boundary with
Howard Springs Nature Reserve. And yeah they I one hundred
(02:19):
and seventy fly out over my house this morning and
along with numerous other birds. But yeah, it's just I
just love watching you can I can now tell families
and generations of birds. You'll see mum and dad up
the front, and then some yeelings behind her, and maybe
(02:42):
some two year old back then, and you can see
the different sizes of them. So that's quite interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
How cool?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Look you know, I don't know a lot about birds,
but I don't know much at all, and I probably
don't even know what most of the birds are that
are flying around the place.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I recognize the magpie.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Geese, but mate, like, if you're not an avid bird watcher,
if you don't know a huge amount you know about birds,
can you still take part? Are their different photos or
different ways that you can work out what type.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Of birds they are?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, there's a bird identifier within the app, so you
can put in some some detail about it and it
will give you a list of options, and you just
picked the one that looks the same. So it's really,
(03:33):
what would you say, intuitive and able to assist.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
What are some of the most common birds that you see?
Speaker 1 (03:41):
We've both touched on the magpie geese, but what else
do you usually see?
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And some of these birds have fabulous names too.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, well they here. I see a lot of the
red colored lower keats and they generally feature in the
top three. They're flitting in and out of the mahoganese
each morning and an evening, and little Corella's you know,
the white the white parrots. Yep, I'm seeing this year.
I'm seeing a lot of self accrested cockatoos in flocks.
(04:12):
You know, normally you see them in pairs and small
groups like that. But yeah, like a flock of twenty
or thirty flew out of the reserve there this morning.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
And are they the black ones with the red No.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
No, that's the red black.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Very self exploded.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
The sulf a crested cockatoo is a really big white
parrot with a yellow crest.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I'm clearly an expert.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, yeah, you can, for you will be.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Maybe I need to do it to educate myself.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Just just take your phone on that run and you'll
be amazed at what you see. So I've got a
couple of drongos, spangled goes nesting up in the foxtail palm.
They build nest at the moment. Yeah, and hunters are
really waterfowl. Hannas are really good bird watchers because just
(05:12):
the beat of a wing, their heads spins around and
they look to see what it is. And we just
bird watchers that enjoy the flavor.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Mate, Does it get any more territory than a spangled
drongo in your foxtail palm.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
In Funny Bay?
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Maybe they'll be, They'll be everywhere. They are a blackbird
that looks like a well, if you were down south,
it looks like a blackbird. But they've they've got a
very distinctive tail. It's got a sort of a wild
tail sort of shape to them.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
I reckon, I've seen them. I reckon, I have seen
them around. Yeah, yeah, I tell you what.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
It does sound like a lot of fun. It sounds
like it'd be good fun for the family to get
involved in as well. But also there's real benefits, isn't
there Like in terms of doing this, it is actually
like it's for a good reason to be able to
sort of check on the bird population and what we've
got around the.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
NT exactly BirdLife in Australia. They compile all the data
that comes in and they give out a listing for
every state and territory on what birds were observed, and
they're comparing that data year to year just in case
there's a major drop in one species or another. And
(06:38):
with avian bird flu on the horizon, which could come
in from the wading and sure birds that migrate around
the world, this is a really valuable tool to see
if that does come in and what effects it does
(06:58):
have on different species.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, hey, but if people want to get involved.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
What's the best way that they can do that if
they go onto the internet and look up Ossie bird
count put that into their surge engine and being able
to come up.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
They register and all the tools will be there for
them to submit an account each day.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Hey, just a quick one while I'm running as well.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Very often lately I've been seeing not only the magpie geese,
but then there's sometimes like two or three of these
other ducks with like a white you know, a white bill,
And I think to myself, what are they doing with
the with the magpie geese.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, they're trying to impersonate them. They are bird Bertkan
ducks or rajashell ducks, but they're a beautiful duck. I
did have two swimming around the pool. They kept leaving,
leaving their mark there, so I threw a couple of
(07:59):
young adamant there you go. They left town.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
But I'm gonna I don't know exactly what a yawning is.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
You're gonna have to just.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Fill me at.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Mate.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
This is the most territory conversation ever, I think, and John.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
People will be loving it.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Thank you as always for having a chat with me
this morning. And no doubt we will talk again very soon. Hey,
the hunting season is underway at the moment, isn't it.
How's it been going.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
It's a bit slow to start. The geese are still
out in Kakado, Mary River and Daily River floodplains, but
they'll be drawing up quickly and then they'll come to
places like Harrison Dam and how it's swamped and so forth,
So it won't be far away, or would predict about
(08:52):
two weeks and they'll be here. And I know people
are getting a few birds here, which is great, but
it'll really swing into action within about two weeks.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Well, nt Field and Game spokesman Bart Irwin. Always good
to catch up with you. Thanks so much for your
time this morning.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thanks for a getting Katie.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Thank you see ya
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