Right Then...

I think I've used this title before..

[[Ooh, that's a good one!]]

To avoid this blog becoming entirely 'Where I went, what I saw, and what I didn't saw (sic)', I think it's time for, no not a rant, but another airing of thoughts..

[Oh Gods, here he goes again...]

On NQS, Gavin "Far too respectable to be given a silly middle name" Haig recently [Well, I think it was in August..] mentioned posting what he thinks of self-found listing, the inference being that its pants [Feel free to correct] [Though not via solicitor, please] [Allegedly]. Feeling free and irresponsible, I figured to do the opposite.

Self-found Lists - why they're a valid expression of birding.

It can be argued that there are two kinds of bird. It can be argued to greater length which two kinds there are, and which birds fall into which category.

Let's pick, for sake of argument, two categories; 'Rare' and 'Common'. Common birds are those you can see pretty much every day, at the right place or time of year. Rare birds are the ones you can't. It is comparatively easy to see Common birds [thus the label], finding them takes ability and dedication, yes, but not to a great degree. Rare birds are trickier by far - you must put in a large investment of time and / or luck, you must know your Common birds, so as to distinguish a Rare bird from them when presented with real-world views. Seeing one is special. Finding one, when you don't know exactly where to look and what to look for, is also special.

That patch of scrub over there... that one that looks like all the others... for maybe 2 minutes of every 20 for, say 3 days in every 5 years there's something Rare there. Have you put in the time to be there at the time? Which species out of dozens, scores, which subspecies, race, age and sex? Do you know enough to pick it out as something different? To know [or be able to find out] that it's Rare?

That's why Self-finding has value. It's a mark of effort. And, it has to be said, luck. Lots and lots of the stuff. If you work out how much time the hypothetical rarity is on view compared to not, and then compare how much time in the same period you're looking at a particular bush on your patch.... Yeah, exactly.

Having Sung the Praises, it's time to Back the Tracks a little. Yes, finding birds yourself is, I think, a Good Thing. It is not the be-all and end-all of birding, though is it? Birding is about seeing birds, hearing birds, and generally having lots of fun doing so. [Well, it is to me, anyway]. So, you're watching a bird someone else has found... Is it any less wonderful, for the fact you've driven half the night to be pointed 'Over there!'?? Don't think so!

There's also stress to consider... Twitching a bird, you stress about dipping. Big time. By definition, you can't dip a self-found; you just never knew it was there. :) You may wonder what you missed, but that's nothing like as bad as driving to norfolk and not getting on it..

But when you find a bird, then, well, you've got to tell someone*. Will it stay long enough to be seen? Will it turn out to be something else? Will someone see a photo and say it was something else loud enough that everyone believes them? For that matter, will anyone believe you enough to even come?

Stress with a capital Aargh.... [[Thus it was I was a little relieved to see too dark primaries and white behind the eye on Sunday]]

*There is always suppression, of course. Maybe its necessary - welfare of the bird, damage to the environment, possibility of access issues, irate landowners with shotguns, the thing's buggered off already and you can't re-find it...

I think I've wandered off on a tangent or two again.. [Well, you were warned -^] To the point; I think there's nothing wrong with keeping a Self-found List, they are just like any other List.

Having said all that [Stating the obvious in ten times too many words, I know..] it's time for a quick update.

No Work List ticks, but a Darvic-ringed adult BHG is still about - I assume its the Danish Boy, but it's never been close enough to read and confirm. Both adult and immature sinensis Cormorants have been about this week; fishing on the falling tide - the adult yesterday and the immature today. An adult carbo accompanied by an unascribable immature also flew upriver early this morning. After the front passed, there was a brief passage of Martins upriver - at least 120 in a long loose group - but no Swallows with them that I could see or hear. There have also been Grey Wags in evidence all week - birds moving through or early [?] winterers?