On Finding Things...
And why not? In all probability just as likely to find one in Whitford as in vast acreages of neglected Arkansas swamp!
I have worked out why I haven't found a biggie for a while. One of the reasons is that I am not spending enough time in the field. Which doesn't help. But another, more serious one is that there are simply too many people about. Whenever I go birding somewhere on the patch of late, I arrive to find a car, bike or mobility scooter parked up, and some eager Backwater type burning up the habbo (slowly, in the latter case). By the time I get a look in, all the good stuff has been sucked into someone else's notebook.
The 'Spotter's Guide to Lone Bird-finding' says on the very first page
'...and if you see someone else's car there, scarper right quick and keep trying new spots until you have one all to yourself'. I have followed this advice countless times in years past and found stacks of good birds. This approach had several unexpected benefits. First, all my fly-overs and briefly glimpsed skulkers were correctly identified, every time. Second, there was never any dispute about who saw what first - I saw EVERYTHING first. Third, I built a massive reputation, became immensely famous and was sometimes mentioned down the pub. Fourth, I didn't have to deal with the bother of having birding buddies wanting conversations and all that stuff...
Those heady times have now passed. So, these days I often adopt a slightly more relaxed and even, on occasion, sociable approach. It is costing me birds. What to do??? In an effort to employ the advice in the 'Spotter's Guide', yet NOT behave like a Billy-no-mates, I realise there is only one thing for it. I must go away. A long way away. So I am heading north. Very north. To islands. But not where everybody else goes when they head north to islands. These will be almost deserted, birder-wise. But hopefully NOT bird-wise.
TTFN
EDIT - Don't forget, for much of the above apply one of these -
I am not really to be trusted...
