Tuesday 20 March 2012

Jealous guys

Can anyone tell me why a small minority of birders insist on being possessive of the birds that they find and generally uptight about sharing information with other birders?

Over the past couple of years I have come across a couple such characters. In truth, I find it very depressing when I come into contact with negativity and narrow mindedness. For me, birds are for everyone to share and are certainly not possessions or objects to claim glory from. As a kid, I occasionally had to deal with people reluctantly grunting responses to birding questions put to them. I even had people turning their backs on me when I approached them, but luckily even at that tender age, I realised that those people were to be pitied.

Thankfully, the vast majority of birders are generous with both their experiences and knowledge - key elements needed in order to enthuse the up and coming birders. Please keep spreading the knowledge.

Rant over. Now, what was I doing..........

8 comments:

shaky said...

Totally a agree tub! I've been birding now for coming up to 3 and a bit years(still a beginner I guess!) and without the help from fellow birders , weather it be help with Id of a wader or gull., or in a hide and askIng to borrow a scope to look at a bird , it all helps with keeping my interest and love of birds and keeps me going back to reserves. I have unfortuanly experienced a few grumpy , unhelpful birders but luckily there minority rather then majority.
Any way what was I doing.........

Shaky

shakysbirdingblog.blogspot.com

Mpho Phiri said...

Birds are for every one to share. The message should be spread that way.Otherwise, it takes away all the fun.
Thanx, and happy birding

BirderRon said...

While I agree with you 100% about birds being for everyone, might I drawn your attention to an email from Dean Tabor printed in the April edition of Bird Watching. Not surprisingly a twitch began when wordx got out about a yellow throat in Gwewnt. Most people who atteneded behaved well but a few chased from place to place and " ...even walking into the thickets where the bird was trying to feed." It is this type of behavour by some twichers who will do anything to 'get their tick'that spoil the whole hobby for the rest of us. It could well be that it is also the reason why so many rarites don't get more widely known.

I'll be honest and up ftront now. I have a problem with twicthers. If folk threw a sickie to go and watch the Gold Cup last week and the boss find out, they would have some serious questions to ask, onw of them might be, "When are you going to seek help with your gambling addiction. But someone does it to go to see a bird for his life his life list, they be laughed at
and and and told they sad individuals with no life. Anyway - enough of my hobby horse for now ;-)))

Adam Jones said...

Agree with you totally. Nothing more annoying than getting the cold shoulder when trying to see over the line of tripods for half a sighting, and god forbid you'd actually want some help to locate it. Manners cost nothing, and we'd all benefit. Birding for the masses.

Emily Walker said...

Here in Illinois I have found 99% of birders to be awesome and friendly, but it's true that meeting the 1% is not pleasant. As for myself, I admit that when I am out birding and a birder I don't know approaches me, I might seem standoffish, but I don't mean to hoard the birds...it's just that I am very shy.

Central Birder said...

Hi David, I totally agree with your comments, I started two and half years ago and can’t get enough of being outside enjoying the fresh air and of course our birds. (Our birds – there for everyone to enjoy). Talking to other birders is all part of the experience, you learn, you digest, you get to hear their stories. However (and there’s always a however)! I’ve come across some obnoxious people while birding and all I can say is “There are plenty of great people birding, 99.9% of them can’t wait to share their sightings and birding tales”.

Good birding to all.

http://centralbirder.blogspot.co.uk

Unknown said...

Indeed, I am a young birder but have been doing it for a while now around 10 years or so. My Granddad started me out, he would always go up to birders and ask what is around, even if they told him nothing. He would tell them what we had seen. So I keep up his tradition of looking out for other birders be they beginner or expert. If they have missed something I have seen then why keep it to my self? There is no point. I share every bird sighting that people ask me about. If I am out and about I always ask other people if they have seen anything and then I tell them what I have seen.

The first rule about birding you always share.

The second rule of birding you always share.


I enjoy talking to birders about their sightings. I may even be able to venture up to the scrubs and have a 'bird' up there. Then Share it with any one who is interested.

It is the birding code, share and share alike.

Dom

Anna Simpson said...

I totally agree.
I have met many bird watchers over the years and many of them have always shared information. There have been times on the other hand when I have been 'blanked'.
Many years ago I was in Norfolk and there was a great spotted cuckoo and it was distressing to see the lengths people were going to in order to get either a glimpse of the bird or to get a photograph. Surely as naturalists we should respect and care for our wildlife. I feel some people don't do this, some people just want to get a snap shot and find the next rarity!