Tweeters:

> I find it interesting that we humans, being the visual creatures
> we are, often feel we must *see* a bird to have experienced it. Just
> hearing it isn't as satisfying somehow. Are any of you good enough at
> birding-by-ear to feel completely happy only hearing one?

I spent last summer doing breeding bird surveys in western Oregon and
Washington, and found that the percentage of birds you can actually SEE,
even with a concerted effort, is vastly smaller than that of birds you can
hear. Once I was comfortable with the songs and calls of the common
species in the area I was surveying, I found it infinitely more satisfying
to bird by ear. You can just walk through a forest or meadow (or, more
likely, clearcut) and instantly know what's out there: a hutton's vireo
buried in a tree, a flock of evening grosbeaks flying indiscernably
overhead, a blue grouse drumming half a mile away. Of course, keeping your
eyes open for that accipiter darting silently through is always a good
idea. Eventually, the only times I really looked for a bird was when the
song was completely unfamiliar: the prairie warbler I saw in the Oregon
coast range, for example. My most satisfying moment came when I went to a
winery in the Willamette Valley and was instantly able to recognize the
song of a vesper sparrow -- a song I'd never heard before except on tape.

None of this is to suggest that bird *watching* isn't also satisfying and
valuable: the kind of information you get from seeing birds is inherently
different from that you can gather by just listening. However, although
learning the songs/calls can be difficult and frustrating (and of little
use when you move to a new area and have to start from scratch!), it's well
worth the effort.

Also: I can't afford to get the volume of messages generated by a tweeters
subscription, so I've been following the conversations (a day late) on the
Tweeters Homepage. Just thought I'd say thanks for maintaining the site!

Katie

Katie Sauter
Center for Streamside Studies
University of Washington Box #352100
Seattle, WA 98195
(206)685-3505
sauter at pisces.fish.washington.edu