Birdwatching is a hobby which has taken off with Ararat residents spreading their wings to spot the animals of the sky which call the Grampians home.
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National Bird Week 2021 takes place between Monday October 18 and Sunday October 24.
Ararat resident Jim Stringer said he and wife Carmel first developed their love for birdwatching while travelling Australia in their caravan.
"We first seriously started getting into the hobby when we volunteered at the Broome Bird Observatory," he said.
"We were the only people who didn't have binoculars.
"Since then we have acquired binoculars and developed our interest in bird watching."
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Mr Stringer said the couple moved to Ararat in 2017 after their countrywide adventure.
"We left Melbourne to go and visit Australia," he said.
"We were travelling in our caravan in Western Australia seven years ago when we found the observatory.
"While on our adventure we stayed at a few different nature reserves.
"We followed up on our interest when we came back to Victoria.
"We landed here (Ararat) in 2017, after five years on the road."
Mrs Stringer revealed the pair recently participated in a 10-week bird monitoring course by behavioural ecologist Dr Greg Kerr, which was held in Dunkeld.
The program provided volunteers with the opportunity to access remote areas of the Grampians National Park and the possibility of monitoring 200 native and invasive bird species of Grampians National Park.
"Recently, we became involved with the Great Grampians Bird Survey" she said.
"We have been trained in how to identify different species.
"It was an intensive crash course in bird identification that certainly helped our knowledge," Mr Stringer added.
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Mr Stringer said Green Hill Lake Reserve was an ideal spot for bird watchers.
"We probably come out here once a month, within COVID-19 restrictions," he said.
"We were out here on Monday with our son who had his Kayak on the lake.
"We couldn't come out here during the lockdown period because it is more than five kilometres from where we live.
"It's such a great habitat out here, there are lots of mature trees."
Mr Stringer said he loves the thrill of attempting to locate all 137 bird species at Green Hill Lake Reserve.
"I love the Hoary-headed Grebe, they are a ratbag looking bird," he said.
"I have seen Musk Lorikeet, lots of Superb Fairywren, Red Wattlebird of course. We saw some juvenile parrots coming out of the hollow the other day, so they are breeding.
"There are lots of breeding birds out here. If you get a boat and go out to one of the islands there are that many masked lapwings out there, you can't hear yourself think."
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