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Deryk has been bird watching his whole life but got serious in 2010 after a friend gave him Sean Dooley’s ‘The Big Twitch’. Once read, the same friend asked, ‘so whats your life list?’ Upon tallying his list, Deryk was shocked at how few of Australia’s birds he had actually seen. That set him on a course to get to know Australia’s birds, their General Impression, Size and Shape (GIZZ), behaviours and the diversity of habitats they occupy, better.

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Since 2010, Deryk has had the opportunity to bird throughout most parts of Australia, its off shore islands and oceanic environments. He hasn’t seen all of Australia’s about 800 plus birds, but that’s a good thing as it allows for lots more opportunities to go birding.

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When not guiding, Deryk is a self-employed Environmental Consultant that conducts ecological studies for a variety of government agencies. As part of this work, Deryk gets the opportunity to combine his career with his love of birding. As his works take him to all points of the State, Deryk has had the opportunity to bird a lot of habitat types.

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Recently, whilst working in the NSW township of White Cliffs, Deryk was fortunate enough to tick off a lifer, the Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii). Even after 30 years birding, seeing a new species is still a thrill.