Tweets -

Gene Hunn writes:

It's not so much who saw/reported the bird, but the fact that those with
reputations as experts are most likely to have provided exactly the
details one would hope everyone would provide for extraordinary
sightings. The expert reputation is built on years of providing such
careful documentation and demonstrating a critical attitude toward one's
own observations.

Michael Price writes:

While practising documentation skills consistently is usually the best
way to develop a critical attitude, and is necessary to gain expert
status, and most importantly renders your ID open to testing, it isn't
the only road to gaining expertise. Locally, there are a couple of
old-time birders I would not hesitate to call expert based on their
empirically-gained knowledge, their acute observational skills, and keen
intelligence to integrate what they see with what they already know, who
have never dipped pen in ink to write down a description or rarity
report or even to 'keep records' as we birders usually use the term. Yet
they are as well-prepared for an 'extraordinary sighting' as any expert
... though less likely to be taken seriously in reporting it. Rarity,
schmarity, they'd say.

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I think Gene provides an excellent description of an expert birder and
Michael an excellent description of an expert birdwatcher. The
difference? The formalities taken by the birder - proper documentation,
listing, reporting to committees, etc... details that would probably
bore the birdwatcher who does it for the shear joy of learning,
observing and being close to nature, and who might well be turned off by
the regimentation and somewhat competitive nature of the serious birder.

OK - so you want to be a birder and not a birdwatcher - what is all of
this documentation stuff? I can remember as a beginner being in awe of
some of the people I hung out with and their ability to describe a bird
- but I learned it was no great magic, they simply followed established
methods. I learned this and it has stuck with me ever since (and I
carry a copy in my notebook). Briefly here's a list of what it takes to
document a sighting (especially of a RARE bird) - but to start out its a
good thing to do for every bird as you add it to your life list(s).

SITUATION:

Species, number of birds, sex, age
Location, date, time, weather, sky/light conditions, position of sun
Distance to bird, optical equipment used

BIRD DESCRIPTION:

Body: size, shape, color, upper body, underparts, wings, tail
Head/Bill: size, shape, color, eyes, eye ring, eye stripe, lores
Legs/Feet: Length, color, feathering
Flight: Profiles, color patterns, wing/tail lenght, wing beats
Voice: describe, similar calls, sounds like....
Behavior: roosting, flying, feeding, soaring, nesting, singing,
movement, etc...
Habitat: terrain, vegetation, temperature, water/food sources
Photographs and Recordings: Photo series to establish location

BIRD IDENTIFICATION:

Differentiation: Differences from similar species, why this is not a
similar species, why similar species were eliminated. Compare field
marks from description above.
Previous experience: With this species, w/ similar species (EXPERT!)
List of ID sources: books, recordings, photographs
Others observing the bird: ID concurred?

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These are the habits that Michael and Gene talk about. These are not
easy things to do - an excellent example was posted by Gene not long ago
on identification of Thayers Gulls.

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Now, advice to experts - please nurture the newer birders and welcome
experienced birders to the community. I have had a couple of really
crappy experiences with local "experts" as well as some great help and
encouragement (Hunn, Rowlett, Opperman, Price have all helped me out).
After I made a brief posting about my "bad" experience I got 8 replies
from others saying they had had similar experiences - mostly not from
"experts", but from intermediate birders in the area, including 4 BAD
experiences on SAS field trips.

Remember, newer birders bring fresh eyes and perspectives - even to
territory you think you know. I know I blew a local expert away by
reporting a large numbers of a certain bird in a well birded local marsh
- the difference? I birded the marsh via kayak and I birded it at dawn,
midday and dusk - it gave me a whole new perspective on the territory
(which I thought I knew quite well). Remember, its the new (both to the
hobby and the territory) enthusiastic birders who are going to make up
your CBC teams and find new and exciting places (or rediscover them) for
the birding community.

Beginners, heed the experts advice - learn to document a bird, learn
bird anatomy, learn the local basic birds, and if you spot something out
of the ordinary...ask for help, ask others to confirm, and get some
photographs!! (a good photograph that can provide positive ID shuts the
doubters up every time!). Remember: assume the bird is something
ordinary and be amazed if you prove it extraordinary!

We have a great community here - let's work to build it!

Rob Conway
Bellevue, WA
(Holder of BIG life lists, but not yet a LOCAL expert)

robin_conway at hotmail.com












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