Planning Your Birding Day.. (1 Viewer)

crispycreme

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2003

• #1

.. or "Am I Twitching and Not Even Realizing it?"


We do virtually all of our birding on the weekend, as I imagine most of the working stiffs on this list do as well. What I normally do, is on Friday evening I'll go through my local birding mailing list to find an interesting bird we haven't seen yet that's been spotted in a nearby locale. Now, as n00b birders, almost every report that comes through that mailing list will contain a bird not on our list, so the choices are wide and varied. For instance, this weekend we can opt to go west to the perculation ponds and catch a Glaucous-winged Gull, plus a couple of Sandhill Cranes to boot (both would be lifers for us). Or, we can go east to see a reported Brown Thrasher (another lifer). Either location is about an hour's drive from here. In either case, we'll spend the majority of the day poking about the locale and additionally we'll get some much needed walking exercise. But, in either case we're going specifically to add a particular bird (or two) to our life list. So, would that be considered 'twitching'?

Also, how do you decide where to spend your birding day?

 

Last edited: Dec 6, 2003

Strix

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2003

• #2

Dear donut man,

Maybe I'm not "hip" on all the latest "jive", but wouldn't it be considered twitching if you were British? I've never heard anybody use that term over here.

 

Strix

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2003

• #3

Oh, I forgot to actually comment on your question.

That's the thing about birding, once you become interested, it's hard to pick a moment when you're not doing it to some extent. Am I birding if I notice a rough-legged hawk when I drive by it at 70 mph?

 

crispycreme

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2003

• #4

Maybe I'm not "hip" on all the latest "jive", but wouldn't it be considered twitching if you were British? I've never heard anybody use that term over here.

Click to expand...

I don't know. I suppose that's why I'm asking. All I hear around this messageboard is 'twitch' this and 'twitch' that, and the (occasionally negative) connotations that go with such colloquialisms (sp?). But in the long haul, this thread was intended merely to find out how and why folks go where they go when birding. I got a bit self-involved when composing the opening post. No egos here!

 

Strix

Well-known member

• Dec 6, 2003

• #5

Yes, I actually am also interested in hearing the answer to the twitching part, I think we'll have to wait for a Brit to show up to get the real answer though. I seriously do not know the origins or nuances of the word, I just know that I've never heard it in America, but it is rather prevalent here.

Why do I go birding where I go birding? There can be many factors, but rare birds usually aren't one of them. I've chased 1 or 2 rare birds I read about on an RBA, but my area around here doesn't have a lot of birders, so there aren't really many reports coming in. I think I basically choose based on time of year, new species I might be able to see, and just my general mood. In spring, I look for warblers a lot. During wader and waterfowl migration I look for those a lot. Right now I've been walking around in coniferous forest because I'm looking for a Boreal Chickadee or a White-winged Crossbill, but that hasn't happened yet. I've also recently been down to the lake near me because a bunch of Tundra Swans are hanging out on the last patch of open water and it's fun to watch them. Sometimes I want to go for a walk in the woods, sometimes I want to go down to the beach.

 

D

Denis J

Well-known member

• Dec 7, 2003

• #6

Hi I'm english and have been birding more seriously for about 3 years now. I think Twitching as a term comes from twitching with excitement at the thought of a new tick. twitching itself is not a problem after all if you hear of a new bird there is nothing wrong with going to see it the problem arises with a small minority of people who are totaly consumed with there life lists and will do anything to see a new bird ..trespassing on other peoples property climbing fences that sort of thing the other problem is some of them have no concern for the bird and will constantly disturb it untill they get good views, obviously if a bird has just flown the Atlantic its probably quite tired and if it is flushed repeatedly it could quite easily die these are the people who have given twitching a bad name.

 

B

Bluetail

Senior Moment

• Dec 7, 2003

• #7

Denis is right. As I explained in another thread, the origin of the term "twitcher" is explained at the following link, about halfway down the page:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/ukrbiga6.htm

Jason

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Dec 7, 2003

• #8

Strix said:

Oh, I forgot to actually comment on your question.

Am I birding if I notice a rough-legged hawk when I drive by it at 70 mph?

Click to expand...

Ain't that illegal strix?

 

birdman

Орнитол&

• Dec 7, 2003

• #9

Good point CJW... 55's the limit, ain't it, in the US of A???

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Dec 7, 2003

• #10

Ahh speed limits, I remember them.....

 

crispycreme

Well-known member

• Dec 7, 2003

• #11

On the Interstate freeways, when not in an urban area, many of the speed limits have been upped to 75mph.

 

Grousemore

Senior Member

• Dec 7, 2003

• #12

On your original point,there is always a tendency to go to places where you may see 'new' birds;which is surely natural?
The 'twitching' thing is not actually redolent of birding in the UK,you'll see from the myriad of postings by various enthusiasts,that the pleasant location and relaxed appreciation of whatever species are about,is really the point.
You'll also find that a lot of so called twitchers are really only extra-enthusiastic birders,who want to see as many different species as they can and in my experience are generally well-informed and affable people.
As was said so often here,enjoy it in the way that YOU prefer.

 

Strix

Well-known member

• Dec 7, 2003

• #13

CJW said:

Ain't that illegal strix?

Click to expand...

nope, speed limits vary from 55-75 (I think) on highways in the US now. At one point, a few states, like Montana had "resonable and prudent" but now it's back down to a number there too.