Biggest tarts (2 Viewers)

[Grousemore]

Yes, it's easier now to see 400 species in the UK but there are listers & there are birders. And there are both. Those that don't get the pleasure of seeing a rare bird because they have never 1) heard of it 2) dreamed of seeing one 3) thought they'd see one, could not possibly get the same satifaction as someone who has been birding for years without seeing one. It's all relative.

Does that make sense?

Dave J

Makes good sense to me, particularly amongst the many generalisations in this Thread.

 

[johnraven]

it's an attitude / approach thing for me and something i've said many times. Back then the younger birders were so passionate, talk would be of magical siberian vagrants and how you could get to see them overseas. Nearly all of those people (a pretty large number) went on to do things with birds, setting up the regional clubs, illustrating or writing field guides, leading tours, working in conservation. That isn't there any more. It's a numbers game now. Twitching/listing has become the dominant genre in birding.

Tim

I'm no spring chicken myself any more (31), but I cant help but notice young birders being rather thin on the ground these days. Perhaps birders are just ageing as a group - I often feel slightly out of place, age wise, surrounded by what (in rather uncharitable moments) feels like a pensioners social gathering. There tends to be more youngsters at twitches, but the demographics are still old and so it seems likely that 10-20 years ago the demographics were very different. That has to change the atmosphere a bit

 

[Edward woodwood]

For sure John

I'm 36 (but a young 36!!!) and i feel young when i go out birding. The demographic was certainly younger. I don't know why it changed. If gallivanting off to interesting parts of the world doesn't get the kid listers of today going nothing will.

There is a small core of young (under 30) birder in Norwich but UEA has always attracted a certain amount. Half are nutter twitchers. Half are nutter world birders - witness this lairiness in Brazil - amusingly written. The amount of petrol consumed is sightly ungreen but they do pretty much walk everywhere in Norwich

http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=639

here's a sample
We drove into the Snob Motel, naively unaware of what a motel was. Things became clearer when we discovered we would have to pay for our under lit leather double bed by the hour! I negotiated a rate for the whole night whilst Dave located the complementary crotchless knickers and, more usefully, the fridge full of free beer.

Tim

 

[Tranquility Base]

I will let you into a secret! I 'got' 450+ without ever going to the Scillies!!!!! But I have, naturellement, been on the Scillonian 4 times and to the Outer Hebrides....... I have seen scores of 'yanks' including passerines (Lark Sparrow, Red-eyed Vireo, White-throated Sparrow, B&W Warbler etc etct leaving East Anglia! Eh bien! Those were the days! A coffee and beans on toast at Nancy's was all you needed to build a list! My Norfolk list is nearly 400! Bigger than my French list (though that does, of course, have some wondrous birds in it!)