Does anyone like me think twitching gives birdwatchers a bad reputation (1 Viewer)

[PhilW]

What a shocking waste of data. You could at least send them into you local country or the BTO, where the information could be used constructively as part of a larger recording effort.

Exactly. Bringing the hobby into disrepute! Any birder not sharing their data for the benefit of future conservation should have their binoculars confiscated and made to visit RSPB reserves on buses with like minded individuals and banned from all access to BirdForum in case they inadvertently ask for information on the best places to see certain species and end up twitching Crested Tits!

 

[pratincol]

What a shocking waste of data. You could at least send them into you local country or the BTO, where the information could be used constructively as part of a larger recording effort.

There is someone locally who thinks along these lines-and constantly irritates bird watchers for whom it is just a leisurely hobby.
He goes on and on about about reporting birds,counting them and not sitting in the hides of a nearby reserve.
According to his lordship they should be out and about checking obscure nooks and crannies looking for migrating birds instead of sitting in hides.
It is like a cracked record.
He annoyed so many people, tens of bird watchers stopped submitting sightings to the local bird website.

 

[Stonefaction]

Exactly. Bringing the hobby into disrepute! Any birder not sharing their data for the benefit of future conservation should have their binoculars confiscated and made to visit RSPB reserves on buses with like minded individuals and banned from all access to BirdForum in case they inadvertently ask for information on the best places to see certain species and end up twitching Crested Tits

Phil, a curious post to be sure which appears to be taking pot-shots at my earlier post (in jest/sarcasm?) which was quite possibly worded badly, but was actually pointing out the similarities between twitching (like you appear to do) and traveling to see particular species of birds in general (like Cresties at Loch Garten, like Ian has in the past). I do a little bit of something like both over the course of a year. Neither is any better/worse than the other, but they are actually comparable as they both involve traveling to see birds - which was pretty much what Ian's original post was apparently against, and what I was pointing out.

I know a few individuals who are happy to take, take, take (info, sightings etc) but are loathe to give anything back. It doesn't always have to be a like for like transaction. I earlier suggested that Ian could if he ever felt like sharing his sightings use Birdtrack to do so. Jane has maybe been a bit more vociferous in her way of putting a similar point across. Each to their own.

Bird and let bird.

 

[cwpbirder]

An interesting thread. I think loud behaviour / poor field craft is probably on the increase - I sat in a hide recently and we were all entertained (?) by a loud phone conversation about what one person's wife might be cooking that evening. Low level noise ie talking, chatting, laughing and mobile phone conversations occur in most groups, but quickly go quiet if the bird appears or is refund.
I've twitched UK wide in the past however, now mostly locally, and I would say most serious twitchers are friendly and keen to share the experience of the bird, info etc.......the more modern problem is the photographer hogging the hide or getting too close to the bird / not considering the rest of the crowd.
I enjoy common birds - we all have our favourites - but there is a magic about a rarity and the wonder of its journey etc - two that stand out for me recently, and that I did twitch, are the Ivory Gull at Patrington and the Bridled Tern on the Farnes. Very memorable sharing those birds with others who are strangers, but all enjoying the wonder of our hobby.
Both birders, and twitchers, can be either rude, or friendly and helpful - partly human nature I suppose. Let's all enjoy, the great thing is that every season of the year has its highlights. Currently, for me, the winter thrushes arriving.......

 

[pratincol]

An interesting thread. I think loud behaviour / poor field craft is probably on the increase - I sat in a hide recently and we were all entertained (?) by a loud phone conversation about what one person's wife might be cooking that evening. Low level noise ie talking, chatting, laughing and mobile phone conversations occur in most groups, but quickly go quiet if the bird appears or is refund.
I've twitched UK wide in the past however, now mostly locally, and I would say most serious twitchers are friendly and keen to share the experience of the bird, info etc.......the more modern problem is the photographer hogging the hide or getting too close to the bird / not considering the rest of the crowd.
I enjoy common birds - we all have our favourites - but there is a magic about a rarity and the wonder of its journey etc - two that stand out for me recently, and that I did twitch, are the Ivory Gull at Patrington and the Bridled Tern on the Farnes. Very memorable sharing those birds with others who are strangers, but all enjoying the wonder of our hobby.
Both birders, and twitchers, can be either rude, or friendly and helpful - partly human nature I suppose. Let's all enjoy, the great thing is that every season of the year has its highlights. Currently, for me, the winter thrushes arriving.......

I agree about the noise in hides, so much so I suffer from hidephobia-a fear of enclosed spaces and a heightened irritation caused by general chit chat and cameras constantly clicking.
The only cure:go bird watching anywhere but in a bird hide.

 

[chris butterworth]

Hmmm. Does travelling to NZ to see Kakapo ( and putting in two weeks of free work for the privilege ) or going to specifically see Juan Fernandez Firecrown count? I twitched the UK a lot in the '70s and '80s and I didn't see it as any different than going to far away places birding, or working my local patch. It's all birding, wether you travel the world, stick to the feeders in your back garden or anywhere inbetween.

 

[Peewit]

Many non-birders are confused by people who simply enjoy birding (myself) to other people who dedicate a lot of their time to finding bird species to add to their tick list in a serious manner (twitchers)

If I am asked what my hobbies are I say 'birding' (and other interests of course).... and the first response I get is 'so you are a Twitcher'. :eek!:

As for the title of this thread - I would say live and let live and 'birding' people mingle no matter how serious they are about birding. I see the experience of birds there to be shared, and enjoyed no matter what level you are on.

So folks, enjoy yourself and your hobby is the best motto I can give here. :-O

 

[cwpbirder]

Another example of poor behaviour while in the hide at Slimbridge at the w/e, 2 birders approaching talking extremely loudly about recent / forthcoming foreign trips etc.....probably audible from while on the path 20m away.......then asked on arrival (without lifting their optics) "is the Semi-P showing?" not surprisingly, it wasn't......

 

[pratincol]

Another example of poor behaviour while in the hide at Slimbridge at the w/e, 2 birders approaching talking extremely loudly about recent / forthcoming foreign trips etc.....probably audible from while on the path 20m away.......then asked on arrival (without lifting their optics) "is the Semi-P showing?" not surprisingly, it wasn't......

I can just picture that happening!
The worst case I came across happened when I found a local rarity.
For years a local farmer has been really kind, allowing birdwatchers walk through his private farm on to private land to look for birds.
On one such trip I found the rare birds and put the information out on Birdguides.
A lot of birdwatchers turned up including a couple of grumpy old men.They were in a bad mood because they had got lost on the way.
When they saw me they asked if the birds were still showing- in a brusque,offhand manner
I patiently explained the best spot to view them and asked them politely to park in the lay by ten yards yonder.
I specifically asked them NOT to drive on any further through the private farmyard nor on to the private land.The reason,I explained,was that the farmer had been so generous to bird watchers over the years-so it would only be fair not to antagonise him.
The distance from the layby to the viewing area was all of 100 yards and would have taken them about 2 minutes to reach on foot.
Blow me, I went back around 15 minutes later, and the grumpy old men had ignored my polite request and driven through the farmyard, onto the private land.
Not surprisingly a friend of the farmer who was visiting was giving them a piece of his mind.
To make matters worse,the birds they had come to see, had already flown off.
So they didn't see the birds after all.
Served them jolly well right!

 

[Allen S. Moore]

It is a shame to read that, pratincol. That is probably a case of some (well, two) twitchers giving birdwatchers a bad reputation, which isn't quite what the OP was asking.

 

[Larry Lade]

* That is, originally posted by the Original Poster (Ian)

Does anyone like myself think that twitching is completely wrong and gives birdwatchers and birdwatching a bad reputation.

Note the "that twitching is completely wrong" part of the sentence. The overall feeling I get from replies indicate that all levels of birding enthusiasts have some people who are rude and annoying and others who are not. Rude persons can be in every level of the birding community. *Some twitchers are rude, some are not. Some novices are rude, some are not. It's a "people" thing, not necessarily a "birding" thing, In my opinion.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Another example of poor behaviour while in the hide at Slimbridge at the w/e, 2 birders approaching talking extremely loudly about recent / forthcoming foreign trips etc.....probably audible from while on the path 20m away.......then asked on arrival (without lifting their optics) "is the Semi-P showing?" not surprisingly, it wasn't......

I think a thrash metal band would do well to flush something from the Holden Tower........

All the best

 

[Paul Chapman]

I can just picture that happening!
The worst case I came across happened when I found a local rarity.
For years a local farmer has been really kind, allowing birdwatchers walk through his private farm on to private land to look for birds.
On one such trip I found the rare birds and put the information out on Birdguides.
A lot of birdwatchers turned up including a couple of grumpy old men.They were in a bad mood because they had got lost on the way.
When they saw me they asked if the birds were still showing- in a brusque,offhand manner
I patiently explained the best spot to view them and asked them politely to park in the lay by ten yards yonder.
I specifically asked them NOT to drive on any further through the private farmyard nor on to the private land.The reason,I explained,was that the farmer had been so generous to bird watchers over the years-so it would only be fair not to antagonise him.
The distance from the layby to the viewing area was all of 100 yards and would have taken them about 2 minutes to reach on foot.
Blow me, I went back around 15 minutes later, and the grumpy old men had ignored my polite request and driven through the farmyard, onto the private land.
Not surprisingly a friend of the farmer who was visiting was giving them a piece of his mind.
To make matters worse,the birds they had come to see, had already flown off.
So they didn't see the birds after all.
Served them jolly well right!

So what were the birds that the twitchers were twitching?

What I find odd about these threads is that lots of people who would not classify themselves as twitchers who occasionally travel to see targeted birds (and indeed would probably criticise twitchers standing shoulder to shoulder with the OP) are always classified as twitchers as soon as they act like idiots.

All the best

 

[Andy Adcock]

What I find odd is a Bristolian supporting Arsenal........333

Although in mitigation, your local teams are not much better than mine, Notts County!!!

Andy

 

[Paul Chapman]

What I find odd is a Bristolian supporting Arsenal........333

Although in mitigation, your local teams are not much better than mine, Notts County!!!

Andy

Andy

Not a Bristolian. Born and bred in Harlow, Essex. First trip to Highbury aged 10. Family are North London and my grandfather used to take my mother to Highbury. Nothing odd there.....

All the best

 

[wheatearlp]

I go birdwatching with my RSPB Local Group from Newcastle and I see lots of different birds as well as birds in my Garden. I've visited local bird reserves and have an annual 7 day holiday going birdwatching. But I don't make plans particularly to see a rare bird. I get as much pleasure at seeing a Blue Tit on my Bird Feeder as much as I would have in seeing a Bittern. But I certainly don't go rushing off hundreds of miles just to see a rare bird. That's just crazy.
Ian.

It's only 'crazy' to people who don't enjoy doing such a thing. Your style of birding would, perhaps, seem 'crazy' to them... if they felt they were in some way entitled to make such an observation.

 

[Xenospiza]

What I find odd is a Bristolian supporting Arsenal.......

Why? There's even an Arsenal fan shop in Chengdu.

 

[lewis20126]

Why? There's even an Arsenal fan shop in Chengdu.

How much does it cost to buy an Arsenal fan in China?

cheers, alan

 

[dantheman]

How much does it cost to buy an Arsenal fan in China?

Can't answer that, but this costs £34.99 in the UK ...

 

[Allen S. Moore]

Can't answer that, but this costs £34.99 in the UK ...

It'll top everyone's Christmas present list!