Birder coverage and second hand info

[bombaydave2]

So, I always ask the local farmers, hunters and duck shooters if they see any unusual birds. often they have a little knowledge of birds other than the common species but these people are often in areas where birders and other people dont go. Birders only access/ observe a small percentage of whats out there and we need to networking.
The reason I am writing this, is that my new neighbor was brought up on a large(few hundred acres) farm in Pukekawa and I thought I would ask him abut Barn Owls. No Barn owls but he preceded to tell me there was a black kite on the property for a couple of years(8-9 years ago - prob the mercer bird). He also said there numerous bittern every winter in a 20 acre swamp in middle of farm, as well as Galah, Sulphur crested cockatoo and he also mentioned flocks of " small white heron like birds" which I am presuming were cattle egret.
Without that conversation we would have no idea these birds were there as it is a large private property.

[Grahame]

Thanks very much for that Dave, and good thinking about the source.
Grahame