"The Birman of Ballarat?"

[flagreen]

I stumbled upon this article regarding a fellow who is known is the "Birdman of Melbourne" and it got me to thinkin' that our resident ornithologist (a.k.a. Tannin) is missing out on a terrific career opportunity.

The birdman of Melbourne - Museum Victoria ornithologist Wayne Longmore - woke very early yesterday. Something was calling him from the beyond.

"It was 4.03am," he says. "There were magpies in my garden. They start to breed at this time of year, they're constructing nests, there's lots of predawn activity, a lot of racket. I got up and had a good listen."

The birdman does this kind of thing routinely. Even among the most ardent "twitchers", as birdwatchers call themselves, his is keen behaviour.

Mr Longmore, Museum Victoria head of ornithology, has helped put together the Stuffed and Mounted exhibition, which highlights the museum's collection of 75,000 bird specimens and celebrates the 100th birthday of the non-profit group Birds Australia. The exhibition is on until October 12.

While still by definition a birdwatcher, however, Mr Longmore is much more than a twitcher. He has studied birds all over Australia for 25 years, specialising now in bio-geography (why birds are where they are) and oology (eggs) as a scientist, curator, researcher and collector.

From - http://goaustralia.about.com/gi/dyn...com.au/articles/2003/07/29/1059244619758.html

So how about it Twitcher err... Tannin? Why not open your own museum?

 

[Tea]

I am only a very small bird watcher, Bill. Yes, I have taken to getting up early in the morning to look at birds (and listen to the Magpies), but I don't have a fraction of the knowledge that this guy does.

Anyway, if I was going to open a museum, I'd probably want something very old and reasonably interesting to use as the key exhibit - such as Tannin.

 

[LiamC]

I get the old bit, but interesting?

 

[Tea]

Well, I think he is interesting. But then, being something of a history buff, I always find decrepit old relics interesting, Bill. Err ... that's both Bills. First time I've had two Bills to put together for ages, actually. Most of the time these days, I'm struggling to have two coins to clink.