Coreena Vieth - Weekend Birder #LocalBigYear

Weekend Birder #LocalBigYear

Part 1: Birds photographed in Tasmania

At the beginning of 2024, I joined the Weekend Birder #LocalBigYear community. What is this? Well, it's a casual easygoing 'challenge' to explore one's local area and notice the birds that can be seen while aiming to make a positive ID and learn about their features, characteristics and behaviour, as well as their habitat. At least this is what it is for me. There are no rules, guidelines, targets or expectations... and this is the reason I chose to join in.

Through my photography, I am documenting the bird species I encounter throughout the year in my local area of the Huon Valley and Channel district of southern Tasmania. Well, that's how it defined my local area in the beginning, anyway. But me being me, I frequently head off further afield from home, taking my camera and noticing the birds wherever I go. Fortuitously, I think my local area has expanded to wherever I visit. In any case, I feel this aligns with my goal to learn more about the birds that I encounter wherever I go.

In the first 6 months of the year, I tallied up 75+ species photographed (a very rough estimate which may be correct or incorrect). This includes species that I've seen in my immediate local area, further afield in Tasmania (for instance the east coast) and a little trip to Victoria too. I'm almost certain there are many more species that I am not able to positively identify or that weren't easy to achieve an identifiable photograph. Oh, and there are the times that (eek) I might not have had my camera with me! Also, I realised early on that keeping a physical list of my sightings isn't a method that works for me... so I simply rely on my photos for identifying the different species seen.

The photos on this page are not necessarily my greatest work. Some of them are not great at all! Sharing only my best work is not my intention for joining the #LocalBigYear community. Sometimes I need to remind myself that it's perfectly OK to publish the photos that I may not ordinarily select to showcase in my published collections.

It's the first time that I have participated in something like this. While I sometimes feel as though I've been a little inconsistent in the first 1/2 of the year, I know there's the second 1/2 of the year to realign my original intentions. Whatever the case, I always enjoy exploring the great outdoors with my camera at the ready for those wonderful moments when the birds wish to join me.

I share below a collection of photos that I have of some (not all) of the species I have seen in Tasmania in 2024 so far - I'll add to this gallery as the year progresses.

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Disclaimer: Species name errors and omissions
This gallery is a personal collection of bird photos. While I have made every effort to identify each bird accurately, errors and omissions may occur. The identifications are based on my best knowledge and understanding at the time of publishing. If you notice any inaccuracies or have suggestions for corrections, please feel free to send me a message with detailed information so I can rectify the error as soon as possible.