Vet, Podcaster, Filmaker, Owl-Chaser
THEIR STORY
Dr César Puechmarin is a wildlife photographer, filmmaker, writer and wildlife veterinarian who somehow finds time to chase birds, crack jokes on his brilliant podcast, and make science a little less serious. He’s the host of the award-winning and slightly unhinged podcasts Death by Birding and Every Animal Ever, both sitting high on Australia’s podcast charts. When he’s not behind a camera or a microphone, you’ll usually find him in the field with binoculars, turning rare encounters and conservation stories into the kind of adventures you really want to hear about.
What is one bird encounter you will never forget?
"Sorry, this is a long one" replies Cesar, as he sends through his tales.
" We did say 2 paragraph CESAR.... but it is a great tale!!" responded LYFER sternly.
A few years ago, I was chasing birds around the gorgeous and rugged Bruny Island in Tasmania. Shy Albatross were visible from the shore, gliding over the frothy swells with their broad wings and dissatisfied scowls while critically endangered Swift Parrots and endangered Forty Spotted Pardalotes danced overhead while wandering the wild forests and coastline.
It was my third day, and despite being utterly spoiled with such casual sightings of rare birds, I couldn't help feeling a tad concerned, as my main target had up to this point eluded me. My evenings were solely occupied with the pursuit of the Tasmanian Boobook Owl. The southern relative to the Mainland boobooks and by all accounts a 'sure thing' on the island of Bruny (and not to mention the last mainland Australian owl to join my list*).
I had three whole nights dedicated to the pursuit of this bird, and I was fairly confident I'd snag it on the first. Yet after many hours of driving (or rather swerving to avoid the playful Eastern Quolls) and wandering the southern woods, my first night was a bust. Not a single hoot or peep to be heard. Luckily for me, two nights left and a whole lot more island to explore left my spirits adequately high. That was at least until the second night, where 1 hour into spotlighting the skies opened up and unloaded half of the southern ocean onto me, and continued to do so throughout the night.
One night remaining, with all of my other targets secure, I was comfortable in the fact that I may not see my coveted owl, but that the trip was undeniably a huge success regardless. With only a few hours till dark and while sitting at my accommodation at the southern end of the island I received an alert that 10 Cape Barren Geese had been seen 20 minutes north. Despite it likely being an incidental 'fly over' sighting, I grabbed my gear and started driving. As expected, it was indeed a wild goose chase.
In the process of tracking these birds I had somehow managed to navigate myself into a road which didn't allow me to head back south. Frustrated and losing patience I steered north while anxiously for a safe place to turn. For about 15 minutes I kept driving further and further North until I finally spotted a driveway to the right. Dodging the oncoming traffic I pulled across the road and landed in a densely forested driveway. Directly in front of me was a large gum tree, open hollow sitting proudly at its crown. I grabbed my binoculars to inspect (as I often do), and within the shadows of the hole I saw two yellow eyes peering back at me. A Tasmanian Boobook Owl.
*Due to a tendency to migrate across the Strait to Victoria, these Owls are indeed considered a species of mainland Australian owl.
You’ve got a golden ticket to go anywhere in the world to see a bird? Where would you go and why?
As a birder, it's certainly tempting to use the golden ticket to tick a bird that would be otherwise impossible or near impossible to see. Perhaps a bird endemic to a small hard to reach island, or on a single mountain in the middle of nowhere.
But I think I have to follow my heart and say the West Coast of the United States to see the California Condor. A bird I've dreamt about for so many years and still fills me with a sense of wonder whenever I think about it. Both as a conservation story, and the imagery they conjure up of this enormous bird soaring high above the desert landscape.
How is birding part of your life today?
There is not a single day that I don't watch birds. They inform how I perceive the seasons and the weather.
They are the bookmarks and bookends for moments and memories throughout my life and they are my motivation to explore and experience the world.
I can't imagine my life without birding.
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