Kate McKay calls herself a “bird watcher” and gets up before dawn every day just to see rare birds (Credit: Kate Turnbull)
Dozens of kilometers from the coast, Kate McKay is holding her camera tightly and scanning the horizon.
She braved the water and waves at the edge of the Australian continental shelf off the coast of Brisbane, where the sea floor drops dramatically to depths of thousands of metres.
Kate came here hoping to see a bird that spends most of its life soaring over the high seas.
Image credit: Kate McKay
This was a scenario she could not have imagined a few years ago.
The 28-year-old PhD graduate calls herself a “bird watcher” and is one of a group of dedicated people willing to get up before dawn for a chance to spot an elusive bird.
Kate McKay said she was amazed by Brisbane’s biodiversity. (Image: Kye Turnbull)
Once considered a pastime for khaki-clad retirees, bird watching is now gaining popularity among people of all ages.
It is difficult to count just how many birdwatchers there are in Australia. Birdwatching is a diverse pastime, with people ranging from avid “birdwatchers” to “bird-curious” people”.
But anecdotally, at least, Sean Dooley, a former national birding champion, believes the pandemic is responsible for the recent surge in birding popularity.
View image of Australia is home to a wide variety of bird species, including the great egret. (Credit: Kate McKay)
“At my local Birdlife Society, many of the birdwatchers I spoke to – more than half – said they started keeping birds during the pandemic,” said Sean, now a senior adviser at Birdlife Australia.
For Kate, it was an interstate trip that opened her eyes to the variety of birds around her for the first time.
Like many people eager to get outside during the coronavirus pandemic, Kate has spent hours walking and hiking.
View image of A Kermadec’s petrel soars over the coast. (Image credit: Kate McKay)
She soon noticed just how many bird species there were in Brisbane.
“I am really amazed at how rich our biodiversity is,” she said.
“Looking back, it’s shocking how I didn’t notice this before?”
A small wattle bird. (Image credit: Kate McKay)
Before long, she found herself out at sea on a “pelagic” boat chartered for birdwatchers, hoping to spot the seabirds that rarely come ashore.
That trip, she said, was what really ignited her passion.
A white-necked egret photographed by Kate. (Image credit: Kate McKay)
“The bird I’m most excited about is the Wilson’s Petrel,” Kate said.
“Their numbers are so small, it’s incredible that these birds can survive in what we consider to be such an inhospitable place.”
But you don’t have to venture out to sea to see Brisbane’s diverse birdlife.
View image of A wedge-tailed shearwater flies over the water. (Image credit: Kate McKay)
Brisbane’s bird bounty
It was the birdlife outside the window that first attracted Chris Ahern.
The 44-year-old graphic designer had been an amateur photographer for years, but his busy family life meant he had little time to get out and look for good pictures.
A dark moorhen dances on the water. (Image credit: Chris Ahern)
“What I love about bird photography is that you can just walk out to your backyard and spot a bird,” he said.
“What’s most telling is that they are probably the easiest subjects to find, but the hardest to photograph.”
Chris Ahern says photographing birds has opened his eyes to the green spaces dotted around cities. (Credit: Chris Ahern)
He soon discovered that understanding bird behavior was the easiest way to take the perfect photo.
Chris said: “If you can understand which birds behave in different ways, it gives you a little advantage when you’re trying to get that one photo.
“You can start to anticipate certain situations and be better prepared.”
A rainbow lorikeet takes flight in the warm morning light at Minnepee Park in Brisbane. (Image: Chris Ahern)
Bird photography soon opened his eyes to the green spaces scattered around Brisbane.
Chris said: “It’s only when you start looking at the bird life and the number of species around cities that you really notice how good our green spaces are.
View image of A Willy’s Wagtail rests at the edge of a trail in Minnippi Parklands. (Image credit: Chris Ahern)
One of those spaces is Oxley Creek Common – a haven for birds of all shapes and sizes in the heart of the city.
Oxley Creek Common is a popular spot for birdwatchers in Brisbane. (ABC News: Stephen Clark)
The creek meanders through the belly of Brisbane’s southern suburbs, and more than 200 different bird species have been spotted in the forests and paddocks that flank the waterway.
Chris Ahern has found that understanding bird behaviour is the easiest way to improve your chances of taking the perfect photo. (Credit: Chris Ahern)
This was a favourite spot of Professor Hugh Possingham, one of Queensland’s foremost birdwatchers.
Professor Bosingham is a former Queensland chief scientist and has held a number of roles in the birdwatching community, including as vice-president of BirdLife Australia.
View image of A kookaburra flies among the trees at Edwards Park in Carindale (Credit: Chris Ahern)
His fascination with birds began during his childhood in Adelaide and was passed down through his father, a keen bird watcher.
Changing face of birders
More than 50 years later, he still walks to his local park in Brisbane’s inner south most mornings to count how many bird species he can spot.
“When I started going to Oxley Creek Common 20 years ago I would see about one birder every two times, now I see about 10,” Professor Bosingham said.
“Sometimes I’ll see groups of 50 or 60 birders out there.”
Professor Hugh Bosingham wears many hats in the birding world. (ABC News: Christopher Gillette)
BirdLife Australia hosts the Australian Bird Census, an annual week-long event that requires participants to submit all the bird species they can spot within 20 minutes.
The count began in 2014 with 8,000 participants. In 2020, the year of the pandemic, that number ballooned to more than 100,000.
“The world was a lot quieter that year,” Sean said. “We could hear more birds singing.”
Oxley Creek Common is one of Professor Hugh Bosingham’s favourite bird watching spots. (ABC News: Stephen Clarke)
This year, nearly 70,000 participants counted more than 4.3 million birds.
Professor Hughes said it was not just about the number of participants, but also about the participants themselves.
“A hundred years ago, if you went bird watching in Brisbane, you would see a lot of old white men in suits and ties,” Professor Bosingham said.
A rainbow bee-eater ups the ante and takes down a dragonfly at Edwards Park, Carindale. (Image: Chris Ahern)
“Without good telescopes, they would shoot and skin the birds and collect the eggs. A lot has changed in a hundred years.”
Kate McKay said an interstate trip opened her eyes to the variety of birds around her. (Photo courtesy)
Kate said she often goes bird watching with people of all ages.
“I think it’s a really good way to connect between generations and bridge some of the gaps that previously existed between generations.”