anti-social birdwatchers! (1 Viewer)

Carson

Well-known member

• Feb 21, 2004

• #101

Snowyowl, the one and only time I visited your pretty island was in 1972, back in the ferry days. I drove across Canada that year, to see what my 4,000 mile home looked like. In PEI, we saw our life record Hawk Owl, sitting rather stoically on a power line beside the highway. Naturally we just assumed Hawk Owls were regular aspects of the PEI scenery. Sometime later, we were informed that lobster traps were seen commonly, but Hawk Owls somewhat less so.

 

snowyowl

Well-known member

• Feb 21, 2004

• #102

Carson said:

Snowyowl, the one and only time I visited your pretty island was in 1972, back in the ferry days. I drove across Canada that year, to see what my 4,000 mile home looked like. In PEI, we saw our life record Hawk Owl, sitting rather stoically on a power line beside the highway. Naturally we just assumed Hawk Owls were regular aspects of the PEI scenery. Sometime later, we were informed that lobster traps were seen commonly, but Hawk Owls somewhat less so.

Click to expand...

I remember hearing about a Hawk Owl spotted sitting on a wire. I wonder if it was the same sighting? I'll check the date.

 

Carson

Well-known member

• Feb 22, 2004

• #103

Ours was October 21, 1972.

 

danysloan

Well-known member

• Feb 23, 2004

• #104

Carson,

Thanks for the massive post--it was both informative and funny, but one comment struck me as peculiar; why would anyone think a person in my position is gay (unless you mean gay as in eccentric)? Maybe that is an assumption that is specific to Vancouver, but as a lifelong resident of the Mid Atlantic U.S. with a cross-section of friends, it's something that had never crossed my mind.

 

Carson

Well-known member

• Feb 23, 2004

• #105

It's perhaps wise to have a pretty broad understanding of people's fears. Here, I included homophobia because you were interested in reasons why people might act closed or unfriendly; this is one reason.

-- Oh, and why am I speaking of fear? Because most hostile reaction is based on fear. This is generally true, whether you're speaking of individuals or nations.

 

Last edited: Feb 23, 2004

danysloan

Well-known member

• Feb 23, 2004

• #106

fear becomes a non-issue when people begin to understand

and thanks for your comments, you are a good guy

 

Screech

Well-known member

• Feb 23, 2004

• #107

I have to agree with SimonC....
I read Michael's post as" tongue in cheek "observation.

Pleasesleep keep acting friendly, after you have been there a few times people will lighten up. Jamaica Bay is a great birding location. Welcome to BF and NY from across the river in NJ. bob

 

weather

Pirate name: Poncy Henry Goodfellow

• Apr 8, 2005

• #108

It all depends on the day you meet me if I'm friendly or not. I work retail management and deal with, oh...what are they called?....oh yeah! People. I deal with people all day. Sometimes, I just want to sit or stroll and listen and watch the wildlife, and forget the pressures of the day. If someone approaches me on that kind of day, they will likely get a cold stare from me. Sometimes I just want to be left alone. With work and a family, it's not easy to get a private moment to myself. Now there are days that I will talk and talk...Even with non-birders. I have been known to lend my treasured bins to a child, so they can look at a bird and maybe take an interest in wildlife. It all depends on the day. I don't try to talk to someone by themselves, because if they're alone, maybe they want to be alone!

Mike

 

Jaeger01

Well-known member

• Apr 14, 2005

• #109

I've come to the conclusion that a lot of birders are just down right shy. It's not so much that they are not decent folk but simply they are about half afraid of anyone whom they come across.

 

J

jtss47

Member

• Apr 15, 2005

• #110

I have followed this thread with interest as here in Japan I hadn't seen any birdwatchers except for one English "Birding Pal" who introduced me to his favourite sites. I saw my first Japanese birders, a husband and wife team, last weekend. They couldn't have been more friendly and we exchanged our days lists by pointing them out in the fieldguide and on a rudimentary tourist map. We were rewarded for our friendliness by a Daurian Redstart that popped onto the ladies telescope, scolded us, pooped and flew away. Magic.