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Garden/Yard List 2020 (2 Viewers)

I wonder if there had been a Victorian era equivalent to this and someone asked the question re optical aids, 'I've just acquired a telescope, can I include species seen through this device, rather than my own eyes?'
Is the camera trap any different?
Just asking.
 
I wonder if there had been a Victorian era equivalent to this and someone asked the question re optical aids, 'I've just acquired a telescope, can I include species seen through this device, rather than my own eyes?'
Is the camera trap any different?
Just asking.

Indeed ... ;)

At the moment the light (actual photons) still get received in our retinas, so yes, I would say it is different. And we are witnessing them at the time.

With the advance in technology it is probably a matter of years not decades whereby digital imaging in mainstream scopes and binoculars could mean that images are no longer of the actual creature, but a binary representation ... dilemma for all birders then??
 
Indeed ... ;)



With the advance in technology it is probably a matter of years not decades whereby digital imaging in mainstream scopes and binoculars could mean that images are no longer of the actual creature, but a binary representation ... dilemma for all birders then??

This used to bother me when I first got a digital camera - as I felt that I wasn’t really “seeing” the subjects in photos and videos. Now I find that particularly by slowing down videos I can learn much more about plumage details and behaviour than with the naked eye or through optics. However I would still feel awkward about only having a digital experience of a species. Maybe a distinction that wouldn’t bother future generations?
 
For the scientific record if it occurred, it occurred. As Richard says, if it's for your own personal recording, then no. I guess you have to have 'experienced' it in real time, in person ... but then, similar to dead animals*, can it go on the 'house/garden' list as that is a separate entity to yourself ... ?

Moral conundrum.

(* Did it die on the property, or was transported in by other means?)

Interesting - I just found a freshly killed water shrew (puncture mark on the flank) on our land. Quite an exciting record (at least for me) as there are none from the atlas nearby.
Easily overlooked and certainly under recorded - but a strange situation - a definite record for the locality - but can I include it on my garden list?
 
This type of debate occasionally occurs within entemology as birders get interested. As far as I am aware, most serious entemologists do not worry themselves of lists of things that they have seen alive. The scientific record is all that counts and the individual statuses such as collector, verifier, etc within the record gain equal prominence and respect.

For personal lists however, it tends to be organisms that you have seen alive but clearly, if it is simply a list of birds recorded in or from your garden then it does not matter by whom they were recorded or whether they were alive. All about the definitions.

All the best
 
Interesting - I just found a freshly killed water shrew (puncture mark on the flank) on our land. Quite an exciting record (at least for me) as there are none from the atlas nearby.
Easily overlooked and certainly under recorded - but a strange situation - a definite record for the locality - but can I include it on my garden list?

Nice one. (Nicer if it was alive of course!)

I guess the question is whether it was alive on your property before it was killed, and not brought in by a cat (or a weasel etc) which was then disturbed - and presumably only you can judge how likely that was. Definitely needs reporting and adding as an addition of sorts though.
 
January 23rd.

44. Bullfinch
45. Goldcrest

Singles of each. Takes me up to equal with my January 2019 list but still two short of the 47 in January 2018.

Steve
 
The more serious ones tend to call themselves entomologists though.

;)

Indeed. Though in reality very few call themselves entomologists because it is too broad and will call themselves dipterists, coleopterists, micro-lepidopterists, hymenopterists, etc....

All the best
 
Unbelievable.

10) Peregrine Falcon

I have been trying to find one for months now. Of all places to see it, it was RIGHT BY MY HOUSE!

I did get a picture, however, the bird was SO FAST that the picture came out blurry. I forgot to set it to the shutter priority setting.

Still, it was great to finally see one.

Jared
 
24) Magpie

Garden Mega today! - was looking out the front window when saw two

25) Feral Pigeon fly over

the houses opposite and into the distance. New addition to the garden list here (since August). Mostly all really quiet otherwise. Need some birds to start getting restless and moving around.
 
btw starting to think of 'rarity of the month', a pretty occasional thing. ;)

The criteria are something of a cross between a bird being an actual area, region or state rarity; being a really good garden bird; a really good bird for your particular garden (eg a commonish bird elsewhere but the first you've ever had for your garden in xx years), along with other factors like being a lifer etc.

Ken's Lesser Spotted Woodpecker one obvious contender??

Anything else? I know most of Ryan's seabirds would be for most of us, anything from elsewhere kinda fit the criteria? (Don't recall how regular you expect Goosander Paul).
 
Dan

Goosander is expected and regular. They are on the river intermittently which most of the time I can't quite see from the house within 50 yards or so.

All the best
 
btw starting to think of 'rarity of the month', a pretty occasional thing. ;)

The criteria are something of a cross between a bird being an actual area, region or state rarity; being a really good garden bird; a really good bird for your particular garden (eg a commonish bird elsewhere but the first you've ever had for your garden in xx years), along with other factors like being a lifer etc.

Ken's Lesser Spotted Woodpecker one obvious contender??

I'll have to agree!....as it's just a minor point. ;)
 
The top three for January seem to me to be Ken’s Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Jared’s Peregrine then a tie for third between the Barnsley Little Egret for H and the Scaup for Ryan ( good job Jos has been Down Under otherwise he’d no doubt blow us all away with a flyover Steller’s Eider or similar :eek!: )
Still getting between 35 and 45 Yellowhammer each day, perhaps the Pine Bunting will pop in again on its way back to Kazakhstan, otherwise I’m still on Siskin watch......
 
The top three for January seem to me to be Ken’s Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Jared’s Peregrine then a tie for third between the Barnsley Little Egret for H and the Scaup for Ryan ( good job Jos has been Down Under otherwise he’d no doubt blow us all away with a flyover Steller’s Eider or similar :eek!: )
Still getting between 35 and 45 Yellowhammer each day, perhaps the Pine Bunting will pop in again on its way back to Kazakhstan, otherwise I’m still on Siskin watch......

No new additions for me yet. I haven't seen that Peregrine since. I'll keep my eye out for him, though.

For some reason, I didn't receive an email notification about this thread. I'll have to fix that.

Jared
 
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