Why so many "ID this bird" posts? (1 Viewer)

Ranger James · Mar 11, 2005

Tim100 said:
Never underestimate the power of a good photo..

True enough, but a good photo is a rare photo. Colour is an amazingly subjective thing, and is seldom reproduced accurately by photographic means. I just think sometimes too much is assumed in photo ID, which makes it even more unbelieveable that people then go on to accept it as a tick!!

Tim100 · Mar 11, 2005

Ranger James said:
True enough, but a good photo is a rare photo. Colour is an amazingly subjective thing, and is seldom reproduced accurately by photographic means. I just think sometimes too much is assumed in photo ID, which makes it even more unbelieveable that people then go on to accept it as a tick!!

I think you missed my point although I agree with the above!

(I was making a ref to my extremely high res moth pic ...

Ghostly Vision · Mar 11, 2005

I saw this in Norfolk last weekend.

It is a duck with a shovel-like beak.

Anyone know what it was? It was with a different one, a brown one.

Thanks

Ranger James · Mar 11, 2005

Tim100 said:
I think you missed my point although I agree with the above!

(I was making a ref to my extremely high res moth pic ...

Durh - sorry got a bit of a thick head this morning form too much plonk last night. B

anonymous_guy · Mar 11, 2005

Sorry, have only just started paying attention to birds & wouldn't know a crow from a hole in the ground - also part laziness don't want to trawl through the database when I have no starting point - haven't got a bird book (no money left), post pics on a local community website as a Q&A so I don't look stupid in Birdforum, but the only chap that can identify everything is giving everybody else a chance coz there's a bottle of wine riding on the answers (got a cheap case of it) & he's already won his bottle - so only way I can deal with it is "Klutz needs ID" (can't win).

On top of which I enjoyed my ID? on Pallas Warbler - kept me riveted even though I didn't have a clue what anybody was talking about.

Besides, which there must be a ceratin satisfaction being able to identify a bird for a novice - can't wait till I can do it.

Can't wait till I have another tough one for everybody
Guy :brains:

Ranger James · Mar 11, 2005

Ghostly Vision said:
I saw this in Norfolk last weekend.

It is a duck with a shovel-like beak.

Anyone know what it was? It was with a different one, a brown one.

Thanks

Shovel...
Shovel...
Now, bells are starting to ring. Bad colour though!

:eek!:

CornishExile · Mar 11, 2005

Ghostly Vision said:
I saw this in Norfolk last weekend.

It is a duck with a shovel-like beak.

Anyone know what it was? It was with a different one, a brown one.

Thanks

Sean,

Can't think for the life of me. Ask Harry / Jane / Tim. Out of my league altogether.

Jon

hornet · Mar 11, 2005

CornishExile said:
Sean,

Can't think for the life of me. Ask Harry / Jane / Tim. Out of my league altogether.

Jon

Ooh, ooh, me sir, I know this one sir. At last, one I know. It's a ...

Oh, hang on a minute. You're being ironic aren't you? Damn.

Tim100 · Mar 11, 2005

Ghostly Vision said:
I saw this in Norfolk last weekend.

It is a duck with a shovel-like beak.

Anyone know what it was? It was with a different one, a brown one.

Thanks

White breasted mallard with deformed beak?

Ranger James · Mar 11, 2005

Tim100 said:
White breasted mallard?

Spot on.:hippy:

Now come on chaps this tounge in cheek IDing is possibly more off-putting than anything else for novices.

anonymous_guy · Mar 11, 2005

Tongue in cheek ID'ing - damn, I was just about to go out & buy a bird book so I could help - besides which I thought it looked like a TCW (Tung Che Wah - HK) after he resigned yesterday - everybody said he's been a bit of a lame duck

Lady19thC · Mar 11, 2005

I think it is fine that people ask for ID help. Some may not have books, some may not even be birders, but this forum may get them started. Curiosity of knowing what a bird is, especially when they take photos, shows that they have some interest in the field. What I see all the time, may never been seen in a neighbourhood two miles away. It also gives me and others the opportunity to hone in our own identification skills. I love seeing birds from other states and countries which I will never see. If people don't like the ID forum or threads...well, you could always just stop looking at them. Common sense...

Ghostly Vision · Mar 11, 2005

hornet said:
Ooh, ooh, me sir, I know this one sir. At last, one I know. It's a ...

Oh, hang on a minute. You're being ironic aren't you? Damn.

Jeez, thanks guys - for nothing. It looked like it might be easy for the experts.

I couldn't find it in my book next to the other ducks (they only show them side-on, so I can't tell from my picture, and I didn't actually look at the bird in the field, I was too busy photographing it with my £1000 scope, £150 adaptor, and £300 camera with a £50 memory card in it).

Maybe one of the real experts will be able to come along and help? At this rate, I might be put off from posting queries like this again.....

Think I'd better "duck"

GV

Ranger James · Mar 11, 2005

But that is a good point GV - I'm sure it was the one you were intending to make.
To a completely fresh pair of eyes, it is difficult to piece together bits of the jigsaw to ID what is a very common duck to someone who spends a lot of time stood on a freezing marsh in january.
Also agreed, I get green with envy at the digiscoping dudes with all the kit.
Fundamentally it comes down to whether you are a knowledge sharer or a knowledge hoarder, and the vast majority here are sharers, and long may it continue.

James

Katy Penland · Mar 11, 2005

To get back to the serious question on the thread, one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that not all people asking for ID help want to be able to ID the same bird the next time: They only want the tick and are looking for a quick ID. Not everyone is into birding to the same degree, and none of us can know to what degree anyone asking for an ID is interested in birds. If you don't think someone is being sufficiently serious about learning, just ignore future requests for ID. Otherwise, it seems like all this questioning of how many times anyone should post and/or how basic is the question being asked seems like so much self-righteous posturing to me.

Sorry, but this is the second thread dealing with this subject and I really don't understand what the problem is. Stay out of the Bird ID Q&A thread if it bothers you. :t:

hornet · Mar 11, 2005

Ghostly Vision said:
Jeez, thanks guys - for nothing. It looked like it might be easy for the experts.

I couldn't find it in my book next to the other ducks (they only show them side-on, so I can't tell from my picture, and I didn't actually look at the bird in the field, I was too busy photographing it with my £1000 scope, £150 adaptor, and £300 camera with a £50 memory card in it).

Maybe one of the real experts will be able to come along and help? At this rate, I might be put off from posting queries like this again.....

Think I'd better "duck"

GV

Ah, now I'm getting confused by the irony and counter irony - I can't work out where I fit in now.

I've only been birding less than two years, but I work hard at it as often as work allows (I sketch, note take, read, work out my own IDs and observe as closely as I can, according to 'best practice'). As a result of this, I do now know a Shoveler from a Mallard at most angles (although I can still remember sitting in a hide at Cley and finding that difficult with females in late summer). By ploughing most of my free time into this hobby / obsession, I've managed to slowly creep towards seeing 200 UK species (although I've still got a little way to go). I submit everything to the county recorder.

However, I still struggle with plenty of LBJ's, quite a few ducks, scoters and divers, winter waders and loads more besides. I still ask stupid questions whenever anyone will listen. I've also got a £1,000 scope (although I didn't pay that for it, thanks Warehouse Express), a £300 camera and a £50 memory card. (made my own adaptor out of a pill pot and gaffa tape though). My bins are pretty good too. Does this make me a dude? If so, is there an official ID test I can take to find out when I can stop being one?

:h?:

ps but back on thread, I agree 100% with James - most birders are sharers and long may this continue. Thanks to everyone who has shared their expertise with me to date (you know who you are), and to everyone still to do so (you probably don't know who you are, yet). Never be afraid to ask - if anyone refuses to help, or makes a snide remark, it's their problem, not yours.

Tammie · Mar 11, 2005

Katy Penland said:
Sorry, but this is the second thread dealing with this subject and I really don't understand what the problem is. Stay out of the Bird ID Q&A thread if it bothers you. :t:

Well said, Katy. :clap:

jeff · Mar 11, 2005

I'm just a lazy git, so i'll keep posting in the id section, you either help me or you don't.
If you don't how am i ever gonna learn |8(|

Jeff

Tero · Mar 11, 2005

I think there is way too much talk here of birds, instead of cameras, scopes and tripods. *sarcastic smiley*

jobkjoseph · Mar 16, 2005

well,

at one point in time i remember seeing so many ID requests for pictures of birds which were IDed as Sharp-shinned Hawk/Sharpie.

If people were reading the posts, i would not expect so many of them.

I guess storage space is worth saving & every avoidable IQ request
should be avioded.

job

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