BirdLife Southern Highlands is working with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to install a hide at Cecil Hoskins Reserve, a RAMSA site near Moss Vale, NSW. We have a number of guidelines, including BOCA’s ‘Bird Hides and Boardwalks’ by Bob Shanks, but we’d value any comments, observations or ‘views by members of the list.
Simon Robinson
The Bower 9B Garland Road BUNDANOON NSW 2578
02 4883 7186
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You are correct Peter; I didn’t know there was another hide at Braeside so assumed Edithvale was what Mike was referring to.
The safety concerns as I understand are structural and also relate to the low ceilings (head strike risk,) dodgy stairs, etc. But I’m not that close to it so unsure of all the details.
Here’s another simple one, at the mouth of Kororoit Ck in Wiliamstown, Vic. I couldn’t find a photo, so here’s the Google Maps satellite view: http://goo.gl/maps/8PKd3
It’s basically just a couple of simple walls. There are more of these along this bit of Port Phillip Bay. I could only find a photo of a viewing slit of one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/goog2008/3172538514/
You can see the disadvantage of vertical palings – cutting slits without adding framing means the palings can come adrift.
Peter Shute
________________________________ Sent: Saturday, 2 February 2013 1:31 PM
BirdLife Southern Highlands is working with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to install a hide at Cecil Hoskins Reserve, a RAMSA site near Moss Vale, NSW. We have a number of guidelines, including BOCA’s ‘Bird Hides and Boardwalks’ by Bob Shanks, but we’d value any comments, observations or ‘views by members of the list.
Simon Robinson
The Bower 9B Garland Road BUNDANOON NSW 2578
02 4883 7186
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I think you probably mean Edithvale, Ross. Braeside is a park in the same area of Melbourne.
Edithvale hide was an even better hide, two storeys high. I can’t remember what the problem was, maybe sinking foundations?
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Past tense I’m afraid. The bird hide at Braeside Park SE of Melbourne was an excellent hide from which to watch birds. It’s been closed down by Melbourne Water about 2 years ago for safety reasons, and there is a continuing wrangle over if and when it will be rebuilt.
A limited service is available once a month from the display centre, but it is much further from the best viewing spots than the bird hide.
Have a look at this one at Newport Lakes in Melbourne (2nd photo, left hand column): http://www.friendsofnewportlakes.com/past.php
It’s basically just a wall, and I imagine it was way cheaper than having a roof and door, etc, as well. I’d rather have several simple hides than one expensive one, especially when you consider the chances that it’ll turn out to be in the wrong spot, and I’d rather put money onto a higher platform than a roof.
I think you also have to consider how attractive a roofed hide might be to teenage drinkers, the homeless, arsonists, etc.
Peter Shute
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BirdLife Southern Highlands is working with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to install a hide at Cecil Hoskins Reserve, a RAMSA site near Moss Vale, NSW. We have a number of guidelines, including BOCA’s ‘Bird Hides and Boardwalks’ by Bob Shanks, but we’d value any comments, observations or ‘views by members of the list.
Simon Robinson
The Bower 9B Garland Road BUNDANOON NSW 2578
02 4883 7186
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Here are a few notes I made to go with a hide I designed for Seven Spirits Bay in the Top End. Obviously down south you’re not going to have problems with buffalo or crocodiles, but there may be something here of interest.
Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow 1/7 Songlark Street, Bakewell, NT 0832 043 8650 835
Bird Hides Access Outline must be broken up either by trees and shrubs or rising ground behind.
Should face south or north, and preferably be on higher ground.
Direction of prevailing winds should be checked. Hide should be located downwind (not important for birds most of which do not have a sense of smell). However scent is less of a problem with an elevated hide.
Access should be from the back of the hide and the access path shielded by vegetation.
A curved track will not be as obvious to animals as a straight, formal path. Resident animals will soon adapt.
If wheelchair access path should be at least 120 cms. wide. Ramp should be the same width with handrails and edging supplied.
Height Hides need to be high enough off the ground so that buffalo and pigs cannot rub on the hide. There needs to be a way of keeping animals out, possibly a grill placed across the entry path. and a gate across the stairs.
Design Consider having hexagonal design. to allow viewing on sides as well.
If floor is constructed of timber a covering should be installed to minimise creaking eg tiles or matting.
A darkened hide or one with many ledges may attract spiders, mosquitoes and snakes. Back of the hide needs to be solid so that visitors are not silhouetted. A partition should be erected in front of the door opening for the same reason.
As guests may spend longer in the Seven Spirits hides than they would at other bird viewing sites eg Fogg Dam, it may be necessary to construct a hide capable of keeping out large numbers of mosquitoes. The provision of shadecloth blinds able to be brought down across all openings may suffice. Vertical slits at heights between 1-1.8 metres could be cut in the shadecloth for binocular and telescope use and notebooks. Slits should be covered by velcroed material when not in use (to keep out mosquitoes). Shelves adjoined to the frame should be provided below each slot for use as an arm, notebook, binocular or telescope rest. Seating should be provided.
A hut built for sleeping may be worth consideration. Many Aus. animals are nocturnal.
Lower front of hide needs to be solid so that movement cannot be seen. Ventilation needs to be provided. If shadecloth is used for sides and front rather than solid panelling this may suffice. Portable hide Can be made from shadecloth with velcro fastenings. A tall screen tent with a solid back (dark green tarpaulin) would suffice. Vertical slots for binoculars could be cut in the front and sides. Commercially marketed photographic hides are available from the UK.
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Hello Simon, Oh, that’s good news. We live in Sydney but often visit the Southern Highlands, and Cecil Hoskins is a special place for us.
There have been some good responses. The Sydney Olympic Parklands, Waterbird Refuge hide has some good features. But indeed, scope tripod usage in a hide is a major consideration. Also, I’ve seen great bird hides in Southern Africa, where equally important is the APPROACH to the hides…they hide the visitors well before arriving at the hide/or leaving it.
In Ces Hoskins, where is a hide considered to be placed?? I would think about half-way along the path-way to the north of the lakes, and in fact, lower down, so the Platypus can be viewed??
Have a look at this website:- (I’m not a salesman for them, but have looked up this sort of subject before, and happened upon the site). http://www.bird-hide.co.uk/
Cheers Peter Madvig
I think these look better – http://www.biotope.no/2012/12/architecture-nature-steilnes-bird-hide.html
The model shown is very basic. They also do a great two-tier with standing room on the roof and even one with amphitheatre-style seating for school groups etc. Really well-designed… but I don’t imagine they’re cheap.
Happy birding Ken
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I am always annoyed by the standard so-called Minsmere hide – basically a dark box with narrow hatches opening above a shelf (to rest elbows) and a fixed bench to sit on. You come in, it’s dark, and you trip over the bench and bark your shins. The usual wooden floor is noisy as well. (Could cheap synthetic matting or carpet be provided?) The hatches are not always the right height and the bench is seldom at the correct distance to sit comfortably – and if you’re my age, it’s tricky to climb over it to sit down. The bench/shelf/hatch problem is particularly bad for children and small people.
I would prefer to see a part of the wall adapted for those who wish to /stand /and look out, from small children to those over 6’6″ in height, with many openings at different heights from the floor. This might make things easier for scopes. And there is the problem of the wheel-chair bound.
It is absolutely essential to face the hide so that one does not look directly into the sun – the glare off the water at the Spectacles Hide at Point Cook (Vic.) makes it very hard to use on a bright day. Birds are silhouetted against bright water.
Observatory-type windows are good for children (and others) because many can look out at once. Sloped one-way glass seems to conceal people from birds (but tinting annoys photographers). However if you have a notebook or Field Guide close to the glass and turn over pages, the movement will scare the birds. Another advantage is that bird movements can be seen as, say a flock flies in from a distance, or a raptor sweeps in and startles everything into flight.
Anthea Fleming
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Michael,
Sounds like you need to invest in a bird hide clamp. They are basically a C-clamp with a small ball head to mount the scope on. The C-clamp can be attached to any convenient part of the hide. The major tripod manufacturers produce various clamps. I have used a Manfrotto Universal Super-clamp a few times. I have seen some interesting home made jobs around the traps.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
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The bird hide at Braeside Park SE of Melbourne is an excellent hide from which to watch birds but frustrating for photographers. The windows are tinted and sloped but none open! The other day there was a Lewin’s Rail immediately adjacent!
Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136