Being a non expert birder and new to the forum I was a bit disappointed to see the original post
Dave
This thread ought to be closed.
Hahaha! I have a more than a few birdbooks that fall into that category...My wifes father has just been given a bird book - I looked at the cover and one picture and can only assume that he is now going to struggle with the easiest of identifications.
However people enjoy there birds whether birdwatcher, birder, photographer I hope threads like this one won't discourage people from posting there ID problems. I really enjoy helping people solve there ID problem whatever bird it is, although admittedly I am getting fed up with domestic/hybrid wildfowl! (bird guides should mention them IMO).
I think its amazing the way you can post a photo of bird and get a knowledgeable response, often within minutes, from anywhere in the world. Long may it continue.
Being a non expert birder and new to the forum I was a bit disappointed to see the original post
Dave
Why?
Sense of humour failing?
It's a general trend in accessing information, not confined to birding, Séamus. I gave a Civics/Politics class of 15-year olds a simple homework task some weeks ago, I asked them to find out who had won the Polish elections the day before, and what their platform was. Two kids in the class said they wouldn´t be able to find out because their PC´s were broken at home. (Apart from TV, newspapers, asking parents, etc., the real irony here is that 8% of the population of Ireland is...thankfully...now Polish. All they had to do was ask someone in a shop!)......but these days people with a computer and no real friends find it easier to have everything given to them rather than go through an educational learning process.....
Seamus
I have a feeling that pictures have been posted not for "i.d." but mainly because the poster wants to show off their photography skills and see someone write "great picture by the way".
By the same token, I think some repondees like see the thread as a bit of a competition, and don't like being told they might be wrong.
Neither of which is necessarily too bad - it's a public forum so who's to start getting uppity about what appears?
Personally I find it an interesting challenge to try and have a go at some pics, even if i don't post. I've certainly learned a thing or two, and i'm also happy to share experience when i know I'm on safe ground (hence banging on about tits but shutting up about pipits!).
At the end of the day, it's easy to scroll down or press 'backspace' if you don't like it. Like a park, this space belongs to almost everyone and you have to take the skaters and the chav footie matches along with the benches and duck pond.
The trouble with that Si, is every now and then we get a "is this a Chaffinch, my mate thought it is and I'm not sure".... and its a Blackpoll Warbler