Non birders bless 'em (1 Viewer)

[Clive A]

Don't you just love the comments you get from non birders? Well today was a special day! We were sat in a hide at Carsington water in Derbyshire, when a couple came in. First, whisperings about what the Lapwings on the island were, Curlew was the surprise answer!
But then it went rapidly downhill..." Have you ever seen a Hoopoe here?".."No" our reply," but there is a record back in the 90's"
" We get one in our garden it's been back a couple of times, weird looking thing"
"Really!! where do you live?"
"Staffordshire"
Us.. very slightly sceptical " Oh right you are very lucky!"
Their reply... " We think it's because a neighbour has Carp!!"..........

Heron anyone??

 

[MSA]

At the weekend, I was with a couple of other birders idly looking at a small creek on Hengistbury, when a family stood a few yards in front of us, the mother pointed and said "look at the Otter!" and took out her camera 'phone, snapping away for a few seconds, then walked off - before we were able to explain that the "otter" was a Mallard!

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Well, I've seen birders mis-identify some obvious things. So non-birders might make even bigger mistakes.

But calling a mallard an otter? Just wow!

 

[Seatallen]

:-O

Love it! Can't beat that one.

Best I can offer is a story from some years back when my sister was living in Northern Ireland. A bird frequenting the area was known locally as the Conlig Eagle. Sadly, it was a Sparrowhawk.

 

[Jamie Dunning]

My best will most likely come from a 6 year old 'non-birder' and his family whilst doing a ringing demonstration for the RSPB. I had a chaffinch in my hand, showed them what I was doing with the taking of biometrics, how i knew what species it was, what sex what age ect. this was all going well and the kid took it all in.. and then I put the ring on and i got... Excuse me, why are you chopping it's leg off..

 

[Clive A]

My best will most likely come from a 6 year old 'non-birder' and his family whilst doing a ringing demonstration for the RSPB. I had a chaffinch in my hand, showed them what I was doing with the taking of biometrics, how i knew what species it was, what sex what age ect. this was all going well and the kid took it all in.. and then I put the ring on and i got... Excuse me, why are you chopping it's leg off..

oh dear!

 

[heatherk]

Best I have so far is the local Starling vs Great-tailed Grackle issue. For whatever reason, despite having both in pretty large numbers, I just cant seem to convince some people around here that they arent the same species!

 

[Farnboro John]

Best I have so far is the local Starling vs Great-tailed Grackle issue. For whatever reason, despite having both in pretty large numbers, I just cant seem to convince some people around here that they arent the same species!

The Starlings are baby grackles. 'S obvious!

John

 

[dantheman]

The Starlings are baby grackles. 'S obvious!

The same as Jackdaws are baby Carrion Crows and Pied Wagtails are baby Magpies ...

(Our neighbour in France insisted the former was the case).

 

[delia todd]

These are brilliant LOL.

A guy I worked with insisted that female House Sparrows were female Robins.

 

[Gill Osborne]

One of my customers in my previous shop job was ADAMANT that she had Snowy Owls breeding on her farm and just would not believe me when I said they were Barn Owls 3

I said to her she would soon know if they WERE Snowy's because her farm would be invaded by hundreds of twitchers

 

[Jonny721]

The same as Jackdaws are baby Carrion Crows and Pied Wagtails are baby Magpies ...

(Our neighbour in France insisted the former was the case).

On a similar theme I once had a woman talking to me in a hide who was adamant that Partridge is the name for a female Pheasant, and she point blank refused to accept that there are actually 2 species of Partridge in the UK and a lot more abroad! I eventually said just go home and google it...

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

My niece, when she was much younger, was driving over the Beacons with me. I pointed out an overhead Red Kite. To which she replied " but where's the string?".

Rich

 

[Ratal]

Best I heard ever was yesterday. Sat watching the Loch, beautiful Black throated Diver family on the surface preening away, and a car pulls into the parking bay.

Mum, Dad and three kids get out. Two girls kicking gravel bored stupid, mum and dad not impressed, when the dad looks at me scoping the divers and says 'just those ducks out there? shame'. Gets back in car with mum and two girls.

Now the boy, youngster, about 8 i'd guess, says 'mr, can I have a look?', takes a peek through the scope and goes 'Black throated Diver. Nice'. turns about gets in the car.

Just goes to show how much some parents pay attention to their kids hobbies or interests. Poor lad.

 

[Gill Osborne]

Let's hope he retains that interest DESPITE his family :-C Poor lad - he should be getting ENCOURAGEMENT to have an interesting healthy hobby :eek!:

 

[Monahawk]

There was a thread on this subject a few years back. I've come across many non birders making quite innocent bloopers and most are happy to be corrected, except one individual I happened across at a campsite in Co Wicklow one year.

One evening huge flocks of lesser black backed gulls were flying over. As I stood there admiring them, a bloke came strolling over to me quoting," I see you looking up at them geese going over, impressive ain't they"?

"Yep, but they're gulls", I replied.

"Jeez no, they're most certainly geese", said bloke looking defiant.

" Nope, gulls ".

" Geese!"

" Gulls". I said calmly.

" I know a f***in' goose from a gull when I see one" ranted the bloke who stormed off.

I shan't repeat here my retort as he went.

Know all non birders. Don't you just love 'em.

Si.

 

[Andy1979]

One of my customers in my previous shop job was ADAMANT that she had Snowy Owls breeding on her farm and just would not believe me when I said they were Barn Owls 3

I said to her she would soon know if they WERE Snowy's because her farm would be invaded by hundreds of twitchers

Wow, one of your previous customers was the infamous 80's pop artist ADAM ANT!!!?

I love some of the ID requests on here. Especially the ones that start with a picture of a house sparrow and then the explanation:

"I took this photo in my suburban garden yesterday and looking through the books, I think it is probably a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, but they seem to be quite rare. Could anyone confirm this for me please." Signed A. Non-birder.

Cheers,

Andy M.

 

[Zheljko]

" I know a f***in' goose from a gull when I see one" ranted the bloke who stormed off.

Reminds me of I think Gerald Durrell when they were somewhere in Africa looking for animal specimens for zoos, and local hunters said there is a nice big rabbit up a tree so they can capture it.
He looks and says "That's no rabbit, that's some big rat"
"Wow, we call it a rabbit".

 

[punkskaphil]

I was in one of the hides at Rainham Marshes a few weeks ago when a couple came in and sat down. The wife said: "there's that Marsh Harrier again", with the husband agreeing: "ah yes, beautiful male". All I could see was a Grey Heron flying across one of the nearby pools so I watched the couple to see where they were looking, and their binoculars were aimed directly at the heron. In all fairness, after the bird eventually came to a rest, the wife did eventually correct herself: "erm...actually, I think it could be a heron..."

Better still was a chap in another one of the hides at Rainham last autumn who started questioning me on my choice of camera and lens (I'm a photographer by trade) and went on about how his equipment was far superior. We also discussed what we'd seen that day and I mentioned a Barn Owl over the other side of the reserve, to which he replied: "Oh, I've seen one of them too, over this side".

Using his superior camera set-up he took a photo of a distant nesting box which had a white blob obstructing the entrance hole, and after zooming into the blob on his camera screen said: "now you tell me that's not a Barn Owl". I said I didn't think it looked like one to me, but I decided not to get into an argument about it (I could see through my own camera that it didn't even look like a bird).

Soon after he left I bumped into one of the reserve wardens and asked him about it, and he said: "Oh yeah, that is a Barn Owl nesting box, but they never use it. The white blob is a pile of poo from a Cormorant that likes to perch there..."

 

[Clive A]

There was a thread on this subject a few years back. I've come across many non birders making quite innocent bloopers and most are happy to be corrected, except one individual I happened across at a campsite in Co Wicklow one year.

One evening huge flocks of lesser black backed gulls were flying over. As I stood there admiring them, a bloke came strolling over to me quoting," I see you looking up at them geese going over, impressive ain't they"?

"Yep, but they're gulls", I replied.

"Jeez no, they're most certainly geese", said bloke looking defiant.

" Nope, gulls ".

" Geese!"

" Gulls". I said calmly.

" I know a f***in' goose from a gull when I see one" ranted the bloke who stormed off.

I shan't repeat here my retort as he went.

Know all non birders. Don't you just love 'em.

Si.

Had the same with a chap i know but this time he thought the gulls flying to the local roost in winter were Terns!