Hello everyone,
I've recently returned back home after spending a year and half or so living in the UK. I remember frequenting the early incarnation of the BIBY site - geez, it's kicked on and changed a great deal since then. It's nice to be back among our many wonderful, bright and vocal bird species.
I enjoy getting out and photographing birds, conducting surveys, plus have also volunteered in projects here and in the UK relating to birds and nature.
My love for birds grew when I lived in Melbourne's West, but there's some pretty exciting and interesting species out this side of town also.
I'm looking forward to getting involved in the site and helping - or being helped - when I can.
'Ave a good weekend fellow birders.
- Graham
Hi Graham, a year is not that long, not in my books. (I've been here for three years
, you think that's too long?)
I remember you. What do you mean by "it's changed a lot"? I sure hope my photography has improved
, and my ID is getting better
?
Did the two of us have issues? Or did we get on well?
Anyway, welcome back
M-L
Thanks Araminta - please refresh my memory a bit...am getting older and also feel like I'm a bit of a timewarp. I don't recall having issues with anyone, no - I'm not really that sort of person.
I mean that the web site has changed since I last checked it out, which would have been over a year and a half ago. It's great and there's a lot to it - reminds me a great deal of the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology site) with its surveys of all kinds and inclusiveness.
I'll be sure to check out your photos and I'll set about putting up some of my own. Thanks for dropping by.
- Graham
Graham Harkom
Organiser
Melbourne Bird Photographers
melbournebirdphotographers@gmail.com
I'm getting older too
, I was just joking, I don't remember either. Can't wait to see some of your photos
M-L
Any photos of your UK birding experiences, Graham?
Peter
Thanks Woko and Pacman,
I certainly got some photos during my time in the UK. Highlights included a day trip to Skomer Island off South West Wales, which was just over a month ago - yet seems another lifetime. I managed to get some good photos of iconic seabirds such as Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills.
Other than that, the moment the springs to mind is an encounter with a Snow Bunting (plover). This bird was out of its typical range, yet was so tame that you could just about reach out and pick it up, so no excuses for not getting a decent photo there.
I'm in the middle of sorting and tidying my photo collection, but if my 'foreign' birds are welcome I'm happy to post some.
Thanks for the welcomes - I hope to be a bit of a regular here.
- Graham
Graham Harkom
Organiser
Melbourne Bird Photographers
melbournebirdphotographers@gmail.com
Hi Graham & welcome back - to BIBY & Oz! Really look forward to seeing your photo's, foreign or Aussie
& hearing of/sharing in some of your birding experiences. 
West Coast Tasmania
Thanks Ruby. It looks like there's enough demand for me to put some highlight photos on, so I'll act on that.
Birding in the UK - like most pastimes over there - is huge. It's a very different culture over there on a few fronts, namely as conservation is mostly charity and membership driven; the RSPB is the largest of several birding/nature conservation charities and it has over a million members.
It's a strange paradox that in spite of the differences in our economies and unemployment rates there's still more opportunites to work in conservation over there - albeit they're usually poorly paid. It's one of the reasons I tried life over there and came very close to getting a couple of wonderful jobs including a 6 month contract living on one of the smaller Hebride islands where I would have taken tourist groups on a walk of the island and been a liason with the community living there.
In spite of not getting any job in the field I was involved in some wonderful volunteering projects with some great ideas that I'd like to transfer over here if I can find the right outlet for them.
Thanks for the warm welcome - watch these spaces for those photos and more.
- Graham
Graham Harkom
Organiser
Melbourne Bird Photographers
melbournebirdphotographers@gmail.com
Welcome back, Graham. I have only been on this site since the beginning of the year and have found it to be a freindly and helpfull site for me (new to birding). I also look forward to your pics from the UK, it's nice to see pics of birds i don't get to see.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
I'd be most interested in the ideas you mention & how they might apply to Australia, Graham.