Just before Christmas I borrowed the new novel, by William McInnes entitled The Birdwatcher from our local library. Now William McInnes is a finet actor and I am sure his previous books, mainly autobiographical, have been excellent. However, his latest novel ‘The Birdwatcher” has left me quite puzzled. He has obviously done a lot of research and many of his ornithological observations are correct, but I am left wondering if he is just having a go at the birdwatching fraternity or what?. The plot moves from Melbourne to Cairns and north to the Daintree area and the geography becomes extremely confusing as if William visited the area about 20 years ago and is relying on his memory and getting it dreadfully wrong. He also keeps referring to ‘The Escarpment’ — maybe he thinks he’s in Kakadu! The bird that causes the main character, David Thomas from Melbourne (as he is referred to), to use the last of his savings to fly north, is a delightfully named Pale Pygmy Magpie Goose or PPMG. This amazing bird migrates from PNG and is very rarely seen, but has the interesting ability to sing! I have no problem with inventing such an imaginative bird for the purpose of the novel, but when it refers to the closely related Cotton Pygmy Goose being on the tidal flats, it starts to get a bit unreal to say the least. Also, staring out to sea from the beach David observes ‘gannets or are they boobies’ — not unless his eyesight can see beyond the reef! It is winter, but somehow there are waders galore on the beaches and then he decides to go and look for a Rainbow Pitta — maybe on the Kakadu Escarpment otherwise he’d just have to be content with a plain old Noisy Pitta north of Cairns! Masked Owls seem to have replaced Barn Owls as the common species and what is an ‘Australasian Harrier (?) doing feeding on road-kill at night? Oh, and a spoonbill spearing fish! I could go on. It seems such a shame to ruin an otherwise readable tale by not getting his facts right. Does anyone know if William is actually a birdwatcher? Cheers, Lindsay Keith & Lindsay Fisher Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge RN 6 Mt. Kooyong Road Julatten QLD 4871 Ph : (07) 4094 1263 Web Site: www.birdwatchers.com.au Blog: http://kingfisherparkbirdwatchers.blogspot.com/ Winner: Wet Tropics 2010 Cassowary Award for Nature Based Tourism _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
On 29/12/2013 7:51 AM, Alan Gillanders wrote: I know of one author who admits to this, and have found one of her errors, but as I’m not a student of the Roman Empire in C1 AD, I don’t expect to fined very many. Brian Fleming _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
The snake ‘myth’ – so called, was a feature of Rudyard Kipling’s “Rikki Tikki Tavi”, re. a mongoose versus King Cobras……..!! Peter —– Original Message —– < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2013 10:17 AM _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have put it past him. But if I remember correctly Bryce had a team of researchers working with him on each book. I gave him some information for “Fires” (can’t remember what it was, but it was not about mistletoes). Denise On 29/12/13 6:21 AM, “Alan Gillanders” < alan@alanswildlifetours.com.au > wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Yes, that’s true – he did make mistakes. But compared with some writers he made a great effort to get his facts right. Denise On 29/12/13 6:06 AM, “Greg and Val Clancy” < gclancy@tpg.com.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Greg, I think that is right. He also got something wrong about mistletoes in the “Fires” 3/4 I cannot remember and something about Tasmanian mammals in Tommo and Hawk. It made me think that he had placed an error in each book on purpose and I had missed some. Happy New Year to all, Alan Alan’s Wildlife Tours 2 Mather Road Yungaburra 4884 Phone 07 4095 3784 Mobile 0408 953 786 http://www.alanswildlifetours.com.au/ —–Original Message—– Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2013 6:36 AM Although I admire the writings of Bryce Courtenay, but don’t usually read fiction, I was very disappointed when he perpetuated the myth that if you kill a Brown Snake its mate will come after you. I think it was in the book/film ‘Jessica’ if I am not mistaken. Regards Greg Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460 | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960 http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com http://gregswildliferamblings.blogspot.com.au/ —–Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2013 11:49 PM Oh my gosh, it’s gone feral! This sounds like a case of both sloppy writing and editing. And it’s not as if the expertise is hard to find. Bryce Courtenay, for example, went to some lengths to seek out such expertise. Perhaps someone would like to write a review. Denise On 28/12/13 10:00 PM, “Peter Madvig” < madvig@iprimus.com.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org —– No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG – http://www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4259 / Virus Database: 3658/6955 – Release Date: 12/27/13 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Although I admire the writings of Bryce Courtenay, but don’t usually read fiction, I was very disappointed when he perpetuated the myth that if you kill a Brown Snake its mate will come after you. I think it was in the book/film ‘Jessica’ if I am not mistaken. Regards Greg Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide | PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460 | 02 6649 3153 | 0429 601 960 http://www.gregclancyecologistguide.com http://gregswildliferamblings.blogspot.com.au/ —–Original Message—– Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2013 11:49 PM Oh my gosh, it’s gone feral! This sounds like a case of both sloppy writing and editing. And it’s not as if the expertise is hard to find. Bryce Courtenay, for example, went to some lengths to seek out such expertise. Perhaps someone would like to write a review. Denise On 28/12/13 10:00 PM, “Peter Madvig” < madvig@iprimus.com.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Oh my gosh, it’s gone feral! This sounds like a case of both sloppy writing and editing. And it’s not as if the expertise is hard to find. Bryce Courtenay, for example, went to some lengths to seek out such expertise. Perhaps someone would like to write a review. Denise On 28/12/13 10:00 PM, “Peter Madvig” < madvig@iprimus.com.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Denise, In my stocking too!!! Hachette Australia. ISBN 978-0-7336-3028-6 Regards, Peter —– Original Message —– Lodge” < sootyowl@bigpond.com>; < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2013 9:01 PM _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Steve and Keith, who published the book? Denise Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71, Darwin River, NT 0841 043 8650 835 On 28/12/13 7:01 PM, “Stephen Murray” < sjmurray3@bigpond.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Lindsay. I was wondering if any other birders got that for Christmas. I read it out of politeness and picked up on many of the things you mentioned. A “mob of Common Sandpipers” was an interesting sighting as well. As I said to my wife…he has done a bit of research on birdwatching, but not quite enough. I think novelists need to get things right if they are going to write about something with which they are not familiar. Otherwise they just look silly. I guess I wouldn’t mind so much if the book had some merit in other departments, but it doesn’t. The ending was extremely corny but I won’t expound in case someone else found it in their stocking. Steve Murray —–Original Message—– Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge Sent: Saturday, 28 December 2013 4:45 PM Just before Christmas I borrowed the new novel, by William McInnes entitled The Birdwatcher from our local library. Now William McInnes is a finet actor and I am sure his previous books, mainly autobiographical, have been excellent. However, his latest novel ‘The Birdwatcher” has left me quite puzzled. He has obviously done a lot of research and many of his ornithological observations are correct, but I am left wondering if he is just having a go at the birdwatching fraternity or what?. The plot moves from Melbourne to Cairns and north to the Daintree area and the geography becomes extremely confusing as if William visited the area about 20 years ago and is relying on his memory and getting it dreadfully wrong. He also keeps referring to ‘The Escarpment’ — maybe he thinks he’s in Kakadu! The bird that causes the main character, David Thomas from Melbourne (as he is referred to), to use the last of his savings to fly north, is a delightfully named Pale Pygmy Magpie Goose or PPMG. This amazing bird migrates from PNG and is very rarely seen, but has the interesting ability to sing! I have no problem with inventing such an imaginative bird for the purpose of the novel, but when it refers to the closely related Cotton Pygmy Goose being on the tidal flats, it starts to get a bit unreal to say the least. Also, staring out to sea from the beach David observes ‘gannets or are they boobies’ — not unless his eyesight can see beyond the reef! It is winter, but somehow there are waders galore on the beaches and then he decides to go and look for a Rainbow Pitta — maybe on the Kakadu Escarpment otherwise he’d just have to be content with a plain old Noisy Pitta north of Cairns! Masked Owls seem to have replaced Barn Owls as the common species and what is an ‘Australasian Harrier (?) doing feeding on road-kill at night? Oh, and a spoonbill spearing fish! I could go on. It seems such a shame to ruin an otherwise readable tale by not getting his facts right. Does anyone know if William is actually a birdwatcher? Cheers, Lindsay Keith & Lindsay Fisher Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge RN 6 Mt. Kooyong Road Julatten QLD 4871 Ph : (07) 4094 1263 Web Site: http://www.birdwatchers.com.au Blog: http://kingfisherparkbirdwatchers.blogspot.com/ Winner: Wet Tropics 2010 Cassowary Award for Nature Based Tourism _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Keith, His wife, Sarah Watt, was the birdwatcher. Unfortunately she died in 2011. The book’s a bit of a homage to her, so I don’t think he’s having a go. Although he’s interested in birds, his interest is very causal. When asked what his favorite bird was, he nominated seagull. There’s an excellent interview by Michael Cathcart on ABC RN about the book: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/william-mcinnes/5116578 Cheers, Tim ________________________________________ Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2013 5:44 PM Just before Christmas I borrowed the new novel, by William McInnes entitled The Birdwatcher from our local library. Now William McInnes is a finet actor and I am sure his previous books, mainly autobiographical, have been excellent. However, his latest novel ‘The Birdwatcher” has left me quite puzzled. He has obviously done a lot of research and many of his ornithological observations are correct, but I am left wondering if he is just having a go at the birdwatching fraternity or what?. The plot moves from Melbourne to Cairns and north to the Daintree area and the geography becomes extremely confusing as if William visited the area about 20 years ago and is relying on his memory and getting it dreadfully wrong. He also keeps referring to ‘The Escarpment’ — maybe he thinks he’s in Kakadu! The bird that causes the main character, David Thomas from Melbourne (as he is referred to), to use the last of his savings to fly north, is a delightfully named Pale Pygmy Magpie Goose or PPMG. This amazing bird migrates from PNG and is very rarely seen, but has the interesting ability to sing! I have no problem with inventing such an imaginative bird for the purpose of the novel, but when it refers to the closely related Cotton Pygmy Goose being on the tidal flats, it starts to get a bit unreal to say the least. Also, staring out to sea from the beach David observes ‘gannets or are they boobies’ — not unless his eyesight can see beyond the reef! It is winter, but somehow there are waders galore on the beaches and then he decides to go and look for a Rainbow Pitta — maybe on the Kakadu Escarpment otherwise he’d just have to be content with a plain old Noisy Pitta north of Cairns! Masked Owls seem to have replaced Barn Owls as the common species and what is an ‘Australasian Harrier (?) doing feeding on road-kill at night? Oh, and a spoonbill spearing fish! I could go on. It seems such a shame to ruin an otherwise readable tale by not getting his facts right. Does anyone know if William is actually a birdwatcher? Cheers, Lindsay Keith & Lindsay Fisher Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge RN 6 Mt. Kooyong Road Julatten QLD 4871 Ph : (07) 4094 1263 Web Site: http://www.birdwatchers.com.au Blog: http://kingfisherparkbirdwatchers.blogspot.com/ Winner: Wet Tropics 2010 Cassowary Award for Nature Based Tourism _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org This email, including any attachment, is intended solely for the use of the intended recipient. It is confidential and may contain personal information or be subject to legal professional privilege. If you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure, reproduction or storage of it is unauthorised. If you have received this email in error, please advise the sender via return email and delete it from your system immediately. Victoria University does not warrant that this email is free from viruses or defects and accepts no liability for any damage caused by such viruses or defects. _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
haha Lindsay!!! sounds like it’s worth the read, if just for a good laugh at these misgivings!!! a spoondill spearing fish got me down on the floor!!! thanks for sharing…cheers, martin cachard, Cairns _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org