Today we are meeting Fernando, avid birder and founder of GOUCA.
Nice to meet you,
Fernando! As the founder of this group, can you tell us what GOUCA exactly is?
GOUCA,
which stands for Grupo Ornitológico de la Universidad de Cádiz, are a group of
people who are passionate about birds and its aim is to show the ornithological wealth
of the province of Cádiz, in the first place to the university community and
secondarily to the rest of the people, through field trips, talks and other
activities.
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| GOUCA founder Fernando (right) together with Joaquín, co-coordinator of the group |
It was a project that emerged little by little. I started getting into it two years ago when I entered university, discovered the birds around Algaida and began to study them. Later I did a course to train myself as an expert bird bander and it was then when I noticed that at the university there were hardly any practical initiatives regarding degrees in Marine and Environmental Sciences. So I decided to start showing the local birds to a group of friends. I gradually met people from the university who were also passionate about birds, students as well as teachers, and one day I asked my partner to create the group logo, I created a WhatsApp group, I discussed it with people I knew who might be interested in joining the project, I started ‘hiring’ personnel for the management.
We know
that the University of Cádiz (UCA) from the Faculty of Marine and Environmental
Sciences is interested in our project, so far they have facilitated different
activities that we have carried out and they hope to be able to help us in
everything they can.
What inspired you to
start an ornithological group?
You could
say the same passion as the one I have for birds. I have always liked to show
things to people, the spark perhaps began with the first sporadic trips I did with
some friends from the faculty around La Algaida. Seeing the excitement of
discovering new extraordinary species encouraged me to continue sharing this
wonderful world with more people.
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How did your passion
for birds start?
My passion
for birds began once I entered university, whenever I had a spare moment I went
on a walk around La Algaida and I began to observe everything. The first
moments of interest began when I started observing the waders of the tidal arm
of the San Pedro River. I had never seen those birds with so many different
contrasts and I began to visit the faculty library in search of literature that
helped me find out what species I was observing.
It really
was a solitary, curious and self-taught learning process. Identifying the
species correctly became a challenge for me. After a while ringer Alberto
Álvarez and the activities that he carried out with his team in Algaida
inspired me to delve deeper into the topic. Then I met my good friend Miguel
Ángel Mora, a great enthusiast who had been doing this longer than me. He
shared his knowledge with a lot of patience.
Why do you find
ornithology so interesting?
Ornithology
is fascinating to me in all its aspects, from the beauty of the bird itself to
the entire context that it encompasses. The knowledge of its aetiologies and
ecosystems does not only teach us something about them but also about all the
nature that surrounds them. Birds are very beautiful by nature, they are
abundant and easy to observe, which is why wherever you go you will always be
able to see them, it is a hobby that you always carry with you.
How do you think you
can motivate other young people to become interested in ornithology and go out
into the field?
The first
thing I tell people who want to start learning is to be inquisitive, to have
doubts, to look for information... Going into the field is something that some
people may not like at first, but once you show them those species that they didn’t
see at first, they begin to enjoy it more.
Why do you find it so
exciting to observe a rarity?
From a
scientific point of view, seeing something strange is fascinating due to the
improbability of the sighting. Unusual migration patterns for example are worth
to be studied, as they can lead to very valuable information about different
aspects of both the species as well as the place and conditions of the
observation.
Fernando, tell us
about your favourite bird species!
That is
really a complicated question, there are countless species that fascinate me. If
I had to choose one, it would be the Sardinian Warbler! It’s one of the first
birds that I ringed and the most common bird in La Algaida.
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| The spectacular Sardinian Warbler, Fernando's favourite species |
What are your
favourite places to go birdwatching?
We have
numerous good birding places in the province where large groups of birds gather,
but being from San Fernando, I have two places which I have special affection with:
Caño El Carrascón and Río Arillo, they are very accessible, have many species
and you always get some surprise. Then there are top places like La Janda,
Cetina Marshes and Costa Ballena, places that you absolutely have to visit from
time to time.
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How much time do you usually spend on birds?
As any
other hobby is usually very present in your daily life, I could say that I
dedicate some time to it almost every day, be it studying, going out to the
countryside, or looking at photos, reading and so on.
Do you think interest
in bird watching is growing?
From my
university perspective, I’d say it is, there are people who are very interested
in learning, but the problem is sometimes they don't really know how to get started.
From a more general point of view, the average age of birders is something to
worry about. Fewer and fewer young people are attracted to this topic and this
is something which in a few years may take its toll.
Who can join GOUCA?
Anyone can join GOUCA if they wish, whether you are from Cádiz or not, whether you are a student at the UCA or not, after all it is a group to share experiences. We have a link where people can find a registration form, our social networks and merchandising.
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What plans do you have
in the future with GOUCA?
As a group we
hope that once we have finished our university studies, we can continue
transmitting our message, informing about the ornithological wealth of our
region. We plan to register our association and share our message with more
people in a non-profit way. And of course, whenever possible, participate in
research on projects with birds!
Thanks a lot for your time! We'll meet soon in the field!
Check out another recent interview here.