Well. That's a big year in the books. I saw, audio recorded, photographed and videoed more bird species than I ever have before within the bounds of a calendar year. I also spent a large majority of that time showing those birds to other people while establishing myself in a new business venture. I travelled all over Australia and saw a total of 647 species (and 6 escapee/semi-domesticated species) including 70 new species and a whole pile of new subspecies, some of which are likely to be split in the future (watch out for that Splendid Fairywren split - looking forward to another endemic!!).

Two days later we'd have a similarly grey passing, albeit much closer. Barau's Petrel have been seen with increasing regularity off the Southwest coast and many of those sightings have been during trips to see the Orcas. John Edmond nailed one ripping down the port side on our return journey to light the boat up after a relatively slow day. 450 was right there. The beers were just about cracked on day four of four. Stu Ford had taken a seat looking over my shoulder as I looked straight back over his. His postured straightened and as his binoculars reached his eyes I swung to focus on what was being called out as a Gould's Petrel. It flew directly at us then peeled off. Floppily flying off at a distance allowing phone videos. Not a bad 450. A bird not yet seen on single day pelagics in WA and a brand new WA one for John (503ish?), Stu (497ish?) and literally everyone else on board (477ish for me).

Well, I’ve hit that magic 440 mark. Just took 10 days on a boat to Ashmore Reef and back to top that list on up. I’d given myself a ridiculous two and a half day turnaround from a 16 day east coast tour featuring Dan Terrington, Blue-faced Parrotfinches and Regent Honeyeaters to get up to Broome and board the boat. That east coast trip was hard work from a logistical perspective but worth it to meet and spend time with the aforementioned wonders of the Australian bird world and many more.

I’ve had a very busy year of work so far. It has been a wonderful start to taking over Birding Southwest and guiding on as much of a full-time schedule as is possible. I’ve just about covered the entirety of the huge state of Western Australia during this year so far and have seen a huge majority of the states birds including all its endemic species. I’ve been extremely lucky to have had the privilege to share those sightings with enthusiastic guests. It's put me in a position where I am currently very close to breaking the record for the most birds seen in WA during a calendar year – the WA big year record.

Prior to that dream trip, I was over on the Mentawai islands off of Sumatra. This is another dream trip but one dreamt about by surfers more so than birdwatchers. I was over there with my surfing hat well and truly on, or at least a whole load of zinc smeared over the tips of my ears to make sure they don’t burn off while out in the equatorial sun. But you can’t spend all day in the water, and I couldn’t resist the birdlife of an island brand new to me. With two endemic species, one recently raised to full species status, I’d have had to hand back my guiding licence if I didn’t at least point my binoculars at a few birds rather than just out to sea for surf checks.

As the golden light cracks over the treetops a diverse and wonderful soundscape is triggered as fifty odd species of birds sing from that remnant Wandoo to start their day. Mornings wandering the wandoo where fifty, even sixty species fill the list in a rapid flurry of calls and colour are the norm.

Bowerbirds are known and named for their impressive architectural structures but do they think about them the same way I do?

Have you ever read a bird field guide? Read the bits where they try to describe a bird call? If you have you’ll be familiar with the onomatopoeic translations of the noises a bird makes. In the Australian Bird Guide (the blue book), a Noisy Scrub-bird has its 'amazingly loud, 10 - 20 clear note territorial call' described as a 'building to a brisker and even louder crescendo eg chee chee chee chip-ip-ip-ip chewit'. Read that to yourself out loud.

Birding Southwest has been rebooted to showcase the regions 17 endemic species, rare specialties and distinct subspecies.

As well as guiding tours in the Southwest our team are verterbrate fauna specialists with survey and monitoring expertise across Western Australia.

As well as guiding tours in the Southwest our team are shorebird and seabird survey and monitoring specialists!