While the compilation of data from observation may be useful in studying the behavior of birders, the very behavior being studied may be a consequence of the ways in which data is used. The shift toward chasing rarities may not relate to changes in human motivation or culture. Rather, I suspect it is a direct result of better access to data, namely the rapid reporting and retrieval of birding information due to the proliferation of smart phones and use of list serves.
On a personal note, I have always been appreciative of the welcoming nature of the birding community and its generosity in sharing information and advice. In fact, both Shai and Andrew have been amongst the most giving in this regard, for which the community is certainly grateful. Nevertheless, while I can understand how frustration can evoke negative feelings, a public broadcasting of disappointment with the behavior of a generous community is more apt to elicit resentment than a positive result. Public encouragement works better than criticism, for family members, fellow birders, and possibly even for photographers. (Though perhaps not for cat lovers.) Happy summer birding, Peter On Saturday, August 1, 2015 7:52 AM, Shaibal Mitra <shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu> wrote: Thanks to everyone who shared information about the appearance of juv Laughing Gulls along the LI shore this summer. It sounds as though they appeared relatively late but, as is sometimes the case, simultaneously in widely scattered places. Confirmation of a new breeding site on the island will probably have to wait until another year (I believe all the "confirmed" blocks east of Jamaica Bay in the Atlas represent flying juvs). It's interesting to me that almost all the info about Laughing Gulls, which is what I asked for in my post, was offered privately, whereas it was my rather secondary--and mild--expression of disappointment about community effort patterns that garnered public discussion. In giving serious thought to the various points that were raised, including my own, the only general theme I can discern that is worth pursuing is the question of whether or not birding itself can be studied, in a manner similar to how we study egrets and Laughing Gulls. I believe that it can, and I've scrupulously recorded data regarding the birders I've encountered in the field over the past 35 years in an effort to document their patterns of abundance, distribution, and behavior--and to look for changes or trends in these things. And what's wrong with that? It's very likely that Andrew could marshall data to support his hypothesis about a shift toward alerts-oriented effort; Dave could well be drawing on a deep body of background knowledge when he criticizes my inability to identify egrets and report them in a satisfactory manner; and Arie might be right that his birding and reporting practices, including his chase and followup of the Little Egret, have been meritorious. My statement that the overall egret-chasing effort collapsed prematurely back on 22 May is not a personal attack on any particular person; it is a conclusion based on a large body of observations. It's the information age--the data are out there! Shai Mitra Bay Shore ________________________________ CSI Tops MONEY magazine’s Best Colleges list for 2015-2016><http://csitoday.com/2015/07/csi-tops-money-magazines-best-colleges-list-for-2015-2016/> -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --