I guess this is a question for the facilitating types.
Has anyone taken a birdwatcher up into the canopy?
Set up some sort of hide for them?
I live in queensland and think our subtropical rainforests provide an ideal opportunity for this type of thing.
Is there really a market for it?
Cheers

Originally posted by ziontree
I guess this is a question for the facilitating types.
Has anyone taken a birdwatcher up into the canopy?
Set up some sort of hide for them?
I live in queensland and think our subtropical rainforests provide an ideal opportunity for this type of thing.
Is there really a market for it?
Cheers

I'm a birdwatcher and I climb in the canopy so I might be one to comment.

Birdwatchers tend to be very focused on seeing as many species as they can in a day so they don't typically like to be tied down to one location for several hours. However if you are "delivering" a very rare bird or several they've never seen before they might be willing to be in a tree to do it.

This is a new area so it's up to you to define for birders what's the benefit for them.

As a birdwatcher I get the following out of a 3 hour climb:
1. See or hear ALL of the resident breeding birds for the immediate woods area around the tree. That will not happen standing on the ground for ten minutes
2. Observe canopy dwelling bird species at eye level or from above (instead of breaking my neck looking up from the ground).
3. Blind not required, birds seem less afraid of humans when they're in a tree (blind is required for close photography). A blind is required for nesting birds or other situations where birds could be disturbed in breeding and raising young.
4. It's a great overall nature experience, birds are icing on the cake.

It helps if the climbing guide knows something about birds so they can get their clients into the right habitat for birds they want to see.

I'm sure there's a market for it but you need to become an expert in what birders require (as well as being a good climber) to take advantage of it. Many people (not all) become birders in their retirement years so you need to be able to make it physically easy for them to get up into the tree
-moss

Wow, great info thanks moss.
I was thinking of providing this as a service when someone specifically requires it. but first you have to let them know its available.
Interesting about that bird watchers like to move around alot. Maybe photographers could be another angle.
I definitely agree you have to make it easy for them. I am thinking pulleys and gri gri's.
Thanks

Originally posted by ziontree
Wow, great info thanks moss.
I was thinking of providing this as a service when someone specifically requires it. but first you have to let them know its available.
Interesting about that bird watchers like to move around alot. Maybe photographers could be another angle.
I definitely agree you have to make it easy for them. I am thinking pulleys and gri gri's.
Thanks

I think nature photographers should be very interested.

Practice on your local birders. You should be able to find some There should be some online activity around birding in your area.

Check out the RADS or YoYo system (maybe you know about it already). SRT set up with GriGri inline, climber gets mechanical advantage and can switch between ascent and descent quickly and easily in a safe way.

Can I be your first customer? (if I can ever get down that way)
-moss