A Skaters Guide to Birdwatching with Jae Overton

Skating is cool and all, but the last thing I want is to hear skateboarders talk exclusively about skateboarding or how drunk they were that one time. So, here’s a new series where I talk to skateboarders about their cool, interesting hobbies or jobs and not at all about skateboarding.

First up to the plate is voluntarily ex-am skater Jae Overton (aka Mark Wolski), who is sponsored by U.P.S. Skate Shop. An avid birdwatcher who probably holds the world record for the most video parts accompanied by Big L songs. He is set to feature in Cameron Fraser’s upcoming video, Arcadia, in which he will probably be skating to Big L. I had a chat with Jae about his love of birdwatching and got an insight into what you need to know before you go watch some birds.

Skate pics: Sam Coady/Bird pics: Mark Wolski

A bird.

What is birdwatching?

It’s exactly what it sounds like, Josh. It’s going out and looking at birds.

When did you start birdwatching?

I started in June 2019. Just before the Private Joy Hawaii trip, I bought a little GoSky, a little monocular thing you strap to your phone to take photos of birds. I just bought it because I thought it would be fun to take photos of birds and bugs when I’d go camping. Then I went on that trip and took more photos of birds than I did skating.

How did you get into birdwatching?

The birds chose me, man. I didn’t want to get into it. My girlfriend, Steph, and I started going camping and I bought her a little bird book. It was almost a joke. I saw it on sale and I thought it would be fun to identify birds while we were camping. Then I actually started identifying birds and as soon as I started, I realised I liked it. It's sort of like Pokémon Go; it has the exact same appeal. You walk around somewhere and, if you’re lucky, you might see a Charizard. That’s the closest thing I can explain to the electrifying, exciting part about it. Pokémon Go, except it's real.

What do you need when you go birdwatching?

Brother, you just need a good attitude and a pair of eyes… even one eye.

What do you take with you when you go birdwatching?

I usually take binoculars, which are a pair of Nikon Monarchs; they’re really good. I’ll also take my GoSky, which is this cheap $100 lens that I can strap to my iPhone to take photos with. Sometimes, I leave the GoSky at home and go real pure, almost like larking. Just for the soul. Not taking photos. Doing it for the love of the game.

Is there a perfect birdwatching outfit?

Yeah, there must be. I don’t do it, but the few times I’ve bumped into people, they’re wearing khakis and stuff. But how do I know that they’re actually good for birdwatching and they’re not just the Polar Big Boys of birdwatching? It might just be a trend. I haven’t broken into the scene yet. I’m just a kook. I’m still in my mall-grabbing phase of birdwatching.

How do you break into the scene?

Probably taking a few really good photos and being over 60.

Is camouflage useful?

I reckon it is. You know what? I have worn some sick Volcom camos out there before. Coolest birdwatcher ever. I reckon it is, though, because I’ve seen these diehard birdwatchers and they set up these little tent things to shoot photos, and it’s this camo tent with a tiny little hole in it, and they’ll sit in the tent for hours waiting for a bird to show up.

 How do you work out what birds you’re watching? Is there some essential literature?

You’ve got field guides, which are scientific journals that have drawings and photos of birds and explain what features to look for. Then, like, if I'm going to a certain area, I know I’ll see certain birds. So, say I’m going out to Western Sydney to a wetland, I know there’s only going to be x amount of birds that I’m going to see. It’s like if you go to Five Dock skatepark, you’re not going to see Josh Kalis.

Say you want to see a Glossy black cockatoo, you go, like, ‘Okay, where’s somewhere with Casuarina trees?’ You’d go to that area, and you have way more chance that you’d see one there. There are all these little tricks. In the bird biz, they call it a ‘target bird’. But for me, I never really go out looking for target birds, I’m more, like, looking for a national park to go for a walk in and see what I see.

Another bird.

Are there any apps that help?

Yeah, I bought one. It’s called Morcombe & Stewart Guide. It was like $30, but it is so good. It’s got all the stuff that’s in the field guides that I was talking about—and more. Say you see a magpie; you can open the app and a map comes up, and you can listen to audio of the calls and see where you can find them. There’s also a free app called Australian Birds, it doesn’t have all those features, but it’s got some interesting facts and things.

Where do you need to go birdwatching?

Obviously, it depends on the kind of birds you want to see, but you can go anywhere. I lay in my hammock, in my backyard—which is in Inner West Sydney—and see cool birds. I saw a Topknot pigeon fly into the tree next to my house. Which is extremely rare. They’re a rainforest bird, and not suburban at all. When I searched it up, it said, ‘very rarely seen in the suburbs.’ I was so excited when I saw it.

What is the best time of the day to go birdwatching?

I’ve always read that it’s morning, so I’ll go at dawn, which is when they start chirping. Then again, there are certain birds of prey, which don’t seem to be on the same clock, and they might just be out at lunchtime. For most birds, though, it’s dusk and dawn. 

What are some birdwatching dos and don’ts?

I was going to say don’t kill the birds. But… Indian mynas are common birds that are all over cities, but they’re invasive species. In my birdwatching books, it says, ‘trap and dispose’, so you are actually supposed to kill them, not let them be. You’re supposed to be a fucking lunatic; put them in a bag and kill them. If you’re looking at owls, you’re supposed to use a red light because it doesn’t hurt their eyes.

How would you describe your relationship with birdwatching?

Unhealthy. I dream about birds. It’s an obsession. I use bird analogies.

Is there an exotic pigeon?

Australia has some of the sickest pigeons in the world. I urge you to look at a Wompoo Fruit Dove. I’d love to see a Spinifex pigeon. They live in the middle of Australia. I’m going through a really big pigeon phase at the moment… I’ve just been really into pigeons. 

Where do Ibis sleep?

I think at the top of big palm trees and stuff. There are ones down the street from my work, and they sit at the top of the tree.

Is there a Tony Hawk-like figure in the birdwatching world?

Yeah, there definitely is. There are people on Instagram who are really popular. You know what? Last week, I was at the Australian Botanical Gardens in Western Sydney. I saw this dude and I was, like, to Steph, ‘I think that’s Glenn Smith.’ She was like, ‘Who? Go and talk to him,’ and I was like, ‘Nah, nah, nah.’ We got home, and I looked him up on Instagram and showed Steph a photo, and she was like, ‘That was definitely him.’ I was just like, ‘Holy shit,’ as if I had Gino Iannucci or something. I’m going back to the gardens this week, and I made a promise to myself that I’m going to go talk to him and tell him that I love him. He’s so dope. He shoots the best photos [laughs].

What advice would you give a budding birdwatcher?

Brother. You don’t need advice. You’re either born with the love or you’re not.