A Safari With César

TELL US YOUR NAME, AGE, WHERE YOU’RE FROM?

My name is Cesar, I'm 31 years old and I live on Mount Glorious in South East Queensland.

COULD YOU TELL US HOW YOU GOT INTO BIRDING?

Birding for me was a slow burn. Tiny crumbs of tantalising and often brief glimpses of beautiful birds that eventually built into an obsession. I'm fascinated and inspired by all wildlife and every aspect of nature, but birding simply felt wonderfully accessible and with so much of a subculture behind it. Birds come in all shapes, sizes and colours and are in almost every habitat on Earth. No matter where you go, you are almost guaranteed to find birds, whether that be the jungles of Borneo or the suburbs of Greater Brisbane.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE BIRD WATCHING MOMENTS?

I'm an unrelenting romantic when it comes to nature, and therefore adore any moment that holds significance or sentimentality. Most recently, I was visiting my family in Scotland and was tasked with the quest of finding my Grandfather his first Woodpecker. In this case, it was just a commonly seen Great Spotted Woodpecker on a bird feeder in my Mum's garden, but that memory means an enormous amount to me.

HOW HAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BIRDS EVOLVED?

When I first started birding, like many, I was largely driven by the urge and pursuit of building a list. Like some obsessive collector, I'd rush to find a species I'd never seen and mark it on my list. However, as I've grown in my interest, I'm far more motivated by experiencing bird behaviour and gaining a greater understanding of certain species. Particularly building a more developed sense of their place within the ecosystem as a whole.

HOW HAS BIRD WATCHING TAUGHT YOU TO SLOW DOWN AND CONNECT WITH NATURE?

Birding is a mindful activity. It's proven to be good for your mental health, and it encourages you to be active and in Nature. Undoubtedly it also inspires within people a greater sense of urgency around conservation and environmentalism. Personally I think these are all good things and should be nurtured. There can be no ill gained by earning a deeper and stronger understanding of the natural world around us, and at its core, that's what birding does.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A PODCAST?

I really wanted to create a platform that made birds and birding more accessible to a broader range of people. The pod is intended to be very light-hearted and fun, while still hopefully retaining a level of educational value. I think bird watching has had a bit of a stigma around only being for retirees, but it's not like that at all, certainly not in my circles. I almost see it as being a bit Punk rock, now that all the original punks are actually retired.

WHAT ARE YOUR ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTING?

This depends entirely on the habitat, but a pair of binoculars, a lightweight field guide or a good app, sun protection and a compression bandage. You're unlikely to be bitten by anything, including snakes, but it's always better to have one and not need it than the alternative.

TELL ME ABOUT WHEN YOU GOT NOCS? WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?

Part of my inspiration for creating this podcast was about making birding accessible, and I've been a massive fan of what Nocs does with helping equipt underprivileged communities with optics to help them engage with nature, as well as contributing to conservation and environmental awareness. I was immediately astounded by the optical quality of my Nocs when they arrived, and as someone who has had extensive experience with several 'top of the line' binocular brands (of which most aren't exactly a realistic option for many people) I can confidently say that the build and optic quality of these bins is wonderful. I have been using them for about a month and never have I felt like they weren't giving me clean, crisp views of the birds.