Leo's Big Year 2021

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karentwemlow
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Leo's Big Year 2021

Today my 6yo son asked could he be in the competition. I explained the rules to him and he's been wandering around the property with his iPhone (no sim card, essentially just an expensive camera/music player) looking for birds. He even built himself a 'bird hide'. I let him use the P1000 briefly just to get a few runs on the board. Some EBC shots to start him off, but identifiable I think?

1. Eastern Yellow Robin

2. Grey Shrike-thrush

Alex Rogers
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Love the hide :-) Welcome to the game Leo!

dwatsonbb
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We welcome all comers, and what better way to start. Good luck Leo, waiting for more.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

dannyka6
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What a terrific bird hide, and start them young I say! Let's go Leo!

sue818
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Oh well done, Leo... a budding birder. Definitely identifiable shots. Welcome to the game and perhaps a life-long hobby.

Devster
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Oh that is so prescious. I wish my boys took that much interest in birding. Welcome Leo. Love that you are interested. We are always happy to help if you have any questions or need help identifying any birds.

karentwemlow
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Thanks everyone :-). Leo has a very typical 6yo boy attention span so I'm not sure how long this will last, but I've been reading all your messages to him and that has made him very excited to be here. I think sometimes he resents birds as his mum is so easily distracted by them, but if I can get him involved and he can see some progress of his own, I think that will keep him interested.

I've left him out of the 'birds everyone has seen' stats but including him in the leaderboard charts. He's hoping not to not come last. I've told him he is ahead of everyone who is not in the competition, and that's a lot of people!

Devster
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karentwemlow wrote:

He's hoping not to not come last. I've told him he is ahead of everyone who is not in the competition, and that's a lot of people!

Haha Karen, that's gold!

AbbyGrace
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Welcome Leo! Love your shots and your bird hide, and Karen can understand as my 5yo son has just brought his first binos (from a gift shop), and has a very old camera to take photos on, hopefully they will stay interested in birds.

TommyGee
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This is so awesome :D Welcome Leo! You're already way ahead of my little guy, who comes with me on most of my birding walks. Mind you, Sam isn't quite 2 yet ;) and also that bird hide is brilliant!

karentwemlow
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Leo was excited to add two more over the weekend before becoming frustrated that he missed the perfect opportunity for a red wattlebird and variegated fairywren after misplacing his phone. Still, onwards and upwards with some EBC iphone pics!

3. Laughing Kookaburra

4. Common Bronzewing

karentwemlow
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AbbyGrace wrote:

Welcome Leo! Love your shots and your bird hide, and Karen can understand as my 5yo son has just brought his first binos (from a gift shop), and has a very old camera to take photos on, hopefully they will stay interested in birds.

Oh that's great! Leo was given some cheap binos from BigW as a birthday gift a few years ago, he loves them even though they don't really do anything. A great accessory regardless it seems. And yes hopefully they both stick with it :-)

karentwemlow
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TommyGee wrote:

This is so awesome :D Welcome Leo! You're already way ahead of my little guy, who comes with me on most of my birding walks. Mind you, Sam isn't quite 2 yet ;) and also that bird hide is brilliant!

Aww cute, glad he goes birding with you at almost 2, that's awesome :-)

Devster
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Good job Leo, keep it up!

sue818
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Well done, also! I also love your bird hide. What a wonderful place you have and so nice that you can share in mum's hobby. I look forward to more birds from you.

karentwemlow
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Leo and I went up to Bilpin Cider after school on Tuesday as it was my fortnightly day off. He snapped this Australian Magpie and I think his photography is improving? He's learnt my strategy of 'get the EBC shot in first, then try to get closer for a better picture', so this was his second shot. I think this is the same magpie who posed for me for my 2020 list.

Bilpin Cider is also a great place for some tree climbing (and tree hugging) too :-).

5. Australian Magpie

sue818
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Well done, Leo and I love your self portrait.

dwatsonbb
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Great job Leo, I hope we will see some more of your photos soon. I love your camo outfit.

Thank you.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

Devster
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Love it! Well done Leo

karentwemlow
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6. Willie Wagtail

Leo has a book called 365 Outdoor Activities for Australian kids and he wanted to do a couple of the activities today. We made a wind vane and then made a Nature Checklist and went on a hunt. One of the things he decided to put on the list was a Willie Wagtail..... and he got one :-). He also put koala..... we didn't see one of them, but might as well aim high I say!

sue818
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Well done, Leo... fingers crossed for a koala soon.

Devster
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So very creative. Good luck on your Koala. Glad he got a Willie Wagtail though. They're such little characters

dwatsonbb
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Go Leo.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

karentwemlow
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Here's an update from Leo after our recent trip up to Lake Macquarie.

I went to the Lakehouse, dad read Storm Boy to me, I was sad when Mr Percival died. I saw some Pelicans and other birds. A baby butcherbird came to visit us every day. 

Back at home we had some Rainbow Lorikeets visit and a pair of Wood Ducks who come around every day.

7. Mallard

8. Grey Butcherbird

9. Australian Pelican

10. Silver Gull

11. Crested Pigeon

12. Little Pied Cormorant

13. Rainbow Lorikeet

14. Australian Wood Duck

dwatsonbb
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Some nice birds there Leo, I am loving your photos, and hearing the stories with them. Thank you.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

AbbyGrace
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nice set of birds Leo! Do like your Butcherbird photo.

Devster
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Well done Leo, keep them coming. Love the enthusiasm!!

sue818
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Well done, Leo.

karentwemlow
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15. White-winged Choughs

We haven't been very active lately and my login stopped working a while back, only just fixed it today.

I spotted this family of White-winged Choughs at the top of my street, I see them in that spot occasionally but am always driving. On this occasion I was heading for school pickup. Leo took this photo from the car on our way back home. I hope you can recognise them!

dwatsonbb
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Great work Leo, a bird I have not seen.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Well done, Leo. Birds with character.

Devster
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Well Done. You need to take any opportunity you can. Even if it is from the window of a car

dwatsonbb
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Special thanks to you Leo for your great effort this year. Hope you can join us again for a another Big Year Challenge.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

karentwemlow
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Thanks Dale, I will try to entice him again for 2022 :-)

AbbyGrace
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Thanks for joining in this last year Leo.

karentwemlow
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Thanks Abby, I'm not sure he'll carry over to 2022, he's moved on to other things - his attention span is somewhat limited to put it nicely! But still was good while it lasted, and he came inside the other day and said 'mum I just saw a yellow-faced honeyeater' so at least he's getting to know the birds around here :-).

Devster
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Oh well maybe it will be like fashion and the trend will come around again quickly. It's good he is getting to know the birds at least

sue818
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Great effort, Leo. Perhaps you can be a spotter for mum.

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