Birdwatching Group – Discovering the Birds Around Us

For the leader of Centrepoint’s birdwatching group, a walk along the Birs is never just a walk. There is always something to notice: a familiar song, a seasonal visitor, or a bird that appears unexpectedly before disappearing into the trees, or perhaps underwater.

Dave Garbutt started the Centrepoint Birdwatching Group around 2015, following his series of articles about bird song in Horizon Magazine, and inspired by daily walks around the orchards of Dornach with his miniature Schnauzer Jana. Although he had already been birdwatching for around 50 years, he wanted the group to be approachable for people with little or no experience.

“I wanted to bring people into birding,” he explains. “Learning birds—especially their calls—is easier from someone who knows them.”

The group’s outings are deliberately simple. Rather than travelling long distances in search of rare species, members meet regularly in familiar places, mainly along the Birs River, south of Dornach, and north in the Reinacherheide. They follow much the same route each time, which makes it easier to notice seasonal changes and gradually become familiar with the birds that live nearby.

That approach is part of the group’s appeal. Depending on the season, an outing might produce around 20 species—or as many as 35 during May migration. During the most recent September session, they saw 22 species. Attendance varies from a small handful to around 15 people, with roughly 35 members in total. Dave is supported by a team of back-up leaders: Tom Smith and Marianne and Steve Barnacle.

For Dave, birdwatching is both a shared activity and a form of mindfulness. “I love the concentration and being open to what happens,” he says. “It is a kind of meditation.”

He also enjoys the perspective that comes from observing other species going about their lives, largely unaware of human concerns. Spending time in that world can make our everyday worries feel smaller. Birds are the easiest animal group to study, which helps people to become more aware of the diversity of animals, plants, and fungi on the planet. Dave hopes that this can inspire us all to act in accordance with caring for our shared planet.

Birdwatching is a naturally cooperative activity: one person spots a bird, another identifies its call, and everyone shares the excitement when the view is especially good—or when an unusual species turns up.

Over the years, he has seen several members become keen birders themselves. But the most rewarding moments are often the simplest ones: watching someone see a bird clearly for the first time or someone suddenly understanding why this hobby can become so absorbing.

His own memorable encounters include cranes flying over Saint-Ursanne and Dornach, thousands of Dunlin along Morecambe Bay in the UK, a Common Redstart singing from a cherry tree near Asp, and a Demoiselle crane roosting on the Indus River bed under a starry moonlit sky at 3,200 meters in Ladakh. Yet his enthusiasm is not limited to spectacular sightings. The familiar birds close to home can be just as rewarding when we take the time to notice them.

Dave came to the Basel area in 1994 for work at Roche, and has been retired for ten years. He has been a Centrepoint member since its inception. Away from birdwatching, he enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons, where he role-plays a halfling bard named Garrett Smoothfoot!

Whether you are an experienced birder or simply curious about the wildlife around Basel, the group offers a welcoming way to spend time outdoors, meet fellow Centrepoint members and see familiar surroundings with fresh eyes. As Dave says, the greatest reward is seeing people “fall in love with birds and birding.”

Check it out! Birders of all levels are welcome. Open to members and friends.

Date: 2^nd Saturday of the month (except July & August)

Time: 09:00 – 11:30 (08:00 start in the summer)

Location: Offsite – details provided each month and confirmation of each meeting a day or two before the meeting.

Contact: Send your email address to birdwatching@centrepoint.ch

Text by Roxane Baxter