bit of a moan I'm afraid. Met up with a birding companion yesterday at a local estuary hide. When I entered the hide and asked " what's about" the reply was the usual same old birds. A quick scan of the dunlin and a curlew sand was picked up , just a bit along from that was a spotted redshank. then overhead an Osprey. Out with the scope and Black turn is picked up. We are not talking about a beginner here. This bloke has a many years on me but can't spot a barn door in a farm yard. I can't be bothered anymore birding with people who won't put a bit of effort in . My bird id skills are not the best but if I can pick these birds up surly he can. Lone trips from now on I think. :C.
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Just the same old birds (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter binfield
- Start date
Ratal
Well-known member
Hahahahaha - Now you know he was just the typical grumpy old birder who isn't interested in conversation.
I say typical as 99% of the birders I met in the last 2 years have been absolutely the same. Even to the point where a White Billed diver and Surf Scoter have been in the same patch of water and their utter disdain shines through at sharing anything.
Now if I see a group of people with spotting scopes I move on and away as I really cannot be bothered with the surely attitude.
I say typical as 99% of the birders I met in the last 2 years have been absolutely the same. Even to the point where a White Billed diver and Surf Scoter have been in the same patch of water and their utter disdain shines through at sharing anything.
Now if I see a group of people with spotting scopes I move on and away as I really cannot be bothered with the surely attitude.
The person is somebody I know, have birded with before and it was a planned meeting. Why bother to bird if you aren't prepared to put the effort in. It's as if they don't want to find anything just have things pointed out to them. It boiled my wee a bit . I know what you mean about grumpy birders, in the short time I have been birding I've met more unfriendly people than friendly. Will be going solo for a while now .
It can also mean - "I am such an awesome birder that I don't even blink at scarce or local and might just about sit up straight for a rare!" Whereas the truth could be that the same old birds like Curlew Sand etc would have been interesting until someone else came into the hide and then get very much played downto appear 'cool'.
I'm new to birding (started earlier this year) but one thing I've noticed is that a lot of birders give you really obscure directions when you ask them where a bird is. It's almost as if they don't want to tell you, but realise they can't act like a total arse.
I love talking to other birders and I find most of them to be a friendly lot, but I have noticed the ID thing quite often. I'd imagine that I'm a seasoned birders worst nightmare, I nearly had a heart attack seeing a distant Water rail and could have died and gone to heaven after seeing my first great white egret and bittern within ten minutes of each other.
I love talking to other birders and I find most of them to be a friendly lot, but I have noticed the ID thing quite often. I'd imagine that I'm a seasoned birders worst nightmare, I nearly had a heart attack seeing a distant Water rail and could have died and gone to heaven after seeing my first great white egret and bittern within ten minutes of each other.
No it was at the Warren. I find the regulars at bowling green quite friendly . As are the odd few at the Warren. The bloke is probably reading this post , although I do remember him saying he doesn't visit this site. Oh well back to reading some happier posts. Thanks for reading my little rant.
Gill Osborne
Well-known member
Even after 30 years I still DO get excited over these two :t: And I was over the moon in April when I found a Water Rail at my local marsh - my first in quite a few years!
I would just ignore the miserable sods and enjoy the birds (and rest of nature around you) and not give two hoots what they think about you being enthusiastic about the commoner birds!
Pete Mella
Getting there...
I was once asked by two guys if I'f seen anything interesting while at Blacktoft Sands. I said, yeah just got some great views of Marsh Harrier. Yeah, I know they're common as anything there, but it wasn't worth the mucky look I got off them!
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
As Gill says, just get out there and enjoy the birds ( and t'hell with any miserable buggers ). Curlew Sand, Spotted 'shank, Osprey and Black Tern in a single day is superb birding in anyone's money. :t:
I've had the same reaction with Marsh Harrier. Thankfully I can hint that they must have been fairly new to birding ( dunno why but, suggesting 'hard core' birders are newbies really upsets them
) as, when I started, there were only 2 breeding pairs in the UK, and the surprise we all had when they started to overwinter.
I've had the same reaction with Marsh Harrier. Thankfully I can hint that they must have been fairly new to birding ( dunno why but, suggesting 'hard core' birders are newbies really upsets them
) as, when I started, there were only 2 breeding pairs in the UK, and the surprise we all had when they started to overwinter.
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
I saw my first marsh harrier food pass the same day as the great white egret and bittern. I was so excied I used the wrong camera settings
Don't ever lose that feeling of excitment, otherwise you might start finding beige trousers and blancmange 'exciting'.:eek!:
I guess I'm lucky that I've only really started birding properly this may. I've only managed 110, so still have plenty to see. I loved birding growing up, but stopped during my late teens. I just love having that same thrill in me from when I was a child. I hope it never goes away.
MSA
I may be relaxed but I'm not drunk....
Don't worry, Darren, some birders are just terrible at giving directions!
As for enthusiasm, leading walks on Stanpit and Hengistbury over the weekend reminded me how rewarding it is to be able to "give something back" when people are so excited about seeing what, for me, would have been a very average set of species.
It's NEVER the same old birds, feral pigeons excepted, you can always find something interesting when watching birds. If you can't find new things, then donate your optics to the nearest Wildlife Explorer group and stay at home watching the TV.
lazza
Well-known member
I do realise that you say that this was an experienced birder, so perhaps this is not relevant.... but...
as a reasonably inexperienced birder, I still am reluctant to point out anything unusual to any birder arriving in a hide that I was already in. Firstly, I was (and still am) embarrassed about my cr@ppy identification skills, and secondly, for a long time, I didn't really have a feel for what was common, unusual, rare or whatever in the area where I live. This came from making a right idiot of myself when I got excited about seeing my first ever whitethroat a few years ago, and getting quite excited while other people in the hide looked on pityingly (well, I felt like they did!!)....
as a reasonably inexperienced birder, I still am reluctant to point out anything unusual to any birder arriving in a hide that I was already in. Firstly, I was (and still am) embarrassed about my cr@ppy identification skills, and secondly, for a long time, I didn't really have a feel for what was common, unusual, rare or whatever in the area where I live. This came from making a right idiot of myself when I got excited about seeing my first ever whitethroat a few years ago, and getting quite excited while other people in the hide looked on pityingly (well, I felt like they did!!)....
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
No matter how long your lists are, how expert your ID skills are, we all had to have our 'first' Common Whitethroat, Common Chiffchaff, Eur. Herring Gull or Common Chaffinch. It's something that is often, inadvertently, forgotten by long time birders. There again, about 10 years ago I was at Marshside, Merseyside and a couple mentioned they'd only just started birding and I went into 'information delivery overload' about the Avocets. Turned out they were from Nth Norfolk. :-C The other side of the coin was when I muttered "Jack Snipe overhead" to myself at a high tide birdwatch and the chap standing next to me almost became apoplectic. He'd been birding for 20 years and reckoned he'd never been in the same universe as "Jack bloody Snipe" before. What could I say, except " Ah well. Never mind. One day you'll get one, mate."
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Tiraya
San Diego CA
I saw my first marsh harrier food pass the same day as the great white egret and bittern. I was so excied I used the wrong camera settings
This was me. Except I have never seen gwe or bittern.
Some people tend to have different ideas of "same old birds", which is why I ask for specific species instead...
Chris I think I would also majorly freak out if I was with you and you just muttered jack snipe...
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