Before this thread outstays it's welcome... I thought I'd share my favorite photo (not mine) of a twitch ever. It's the first Golden-winged Warbler for the UK at Maidstone, Kent, 1989. It puts things here into perspective, no? http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/images/articles/2013-04/golden-winged-warbler2.jpg The story goes that the birder who found it was buying a pint of milk from Tesco's and saw it, naked eye, in the car park! best Keir RandallBrooklyn (via Scotland)
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [nysbirds-l] Birding in Britain Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2013 20:30:59 -0500 Ok, here’s a light piece of UK-based birding memorabilia, recollected as a result of both the article below, on hypercompetitive twitchery among UK birders, as well as our own recent, recurring field etiquette discussions. Holiday-style, I’ll call it the Parable of the Dartford Warbler. It is a true story, from 1989. Note: This is quite far off-topic for nysbirds , and saunters on for a bit, so please feel free to vault on to the next posting if you’re not in a low-key, holiday sort of mood. Also, if you’ve heard it before, it may not warrant a second sit-through. In July, 1989, I visited Thursley Common in Surrey (sw of London), then a principal site for one of my key target birds, the Dartford Warbler, a distinctively shaped and colorful species (for a European warbler, anyhow). It is notoriously furtive. I walked the heathland paths [photos 1&2 in the link below], seeing a Hobby and other species, then held up when I heard a Dartford Warbler calling nearby from a gorse bush [Ulex sp., aka Furze], just yards away. The bird flitted about but remained firmly concealed at the far edge the gorse thicket [photo 3]. I had a recording of the bird’s song with me (the only one generally available then), but: 1. It would be strictly illegal to play a tape to attract a nesting Dartford Warbler in England (they’d definitely have busted a Yank)2. Moreover, any bird nesting at this well-known site would undoubtedly have long since been desensitized to this sole available vocalization, as played by the many UK birding scofflaws who I’m sure wanted desperately to see the bird, come-what-may (cf. article cited below)3. Furthermore, pishing does not work for most UK birds, I’d already tried elsewhere On a limited time schedule, I waited as long as I could, but the bird kept bouncing around, just out of clear view at the opposite side of the shrub. Angst. As a last resort, I looked around (to be sure that I was absolutely alone), then uttered the following, in as soft and friendly a voice as I could summon: “Hi bird. My but you are a beauty, just as they say. You know, I’ve come from a very long way just to see you. I know you’re scared and jumpy, but I’m not going to hurt you, no not at all, and if you’d just let me take a quick photo of you I’d be very happy, and then I’ll back away, right down the path and I won’t bother you anymore. Is that ok with you?” And so forth. Yes, real treacle. To my astonishment, when I edged to my left, there I saw the bird on the perimeter of the gorse, cocking its head inquisitively from a low twig, apparently studying me [photo 4]. I kept up with my conversation, and the bird continued to inch out, ever more boldly, letting me approach a few feet closer and take a number of additional photos [photos 5 & 6]. After this, I said, ”Well thank you bird, why don’t you hop back into your gorse bush now, and I’ll be on my way.” And that’s what we both did. The result was some of the better illustrative field shots taken up to that time of this species (remember, this was 1989! Many far better images are now available) I learned quite a lot from this encounter. For one thing, it confirmed my belief that positive results in nature photography often rely on the consent of the individual being photographed, given the establishment a fleeting trust relationship on some level. Or at least some degree of mutual calmness and detente. This is even true of butterflies (believe it or not), which have been my main subject for some time -- although “trust relationship” may be an overstatement in that case. Like many true-life nature tales, this one is equivocal in terms of guiding conclusions. But I am drawn to its odd ambiguity, and such surprises are a big part of what’s kept me interested in nature study for a fairly long number of years. Happy Holidays,Rick http://rbc-pix.smugmug.com/Nature/Dartford-Warbler/i-KQLSXHk From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Saturday, December 14, 2013 10:54 PM To: NYSBIRDS-L Subject: [nysbirds-l] Birding in Britain If you thought birding was competitive in the "States"take a look in Great Britain: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-britain-bird-watching-gone-wild/2013/12/14/87d5766a-61a3-11e3-a7b4-4a75ebc432ab_story.html?hpid=z1--NYSbirds-L List Info:Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and LeaveArchives:The Mail ArchiveSurfbirdsBirdingOnThe.NetPlease submit your observations to eBird!-- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to 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/[email protected]/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/ --
