birding-aus

Why do birders create State lists?

To: Steve Potter <>, Birding Aus <>
Subject: Why do birders create State lists?
From: Denise Goodfellow <>
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:24:24 +0930
You've hit the nail on the head, Steve - it is the nature of "man".  Women
are far less likely to systemise whether it's birdwatching or
train-spotting.

And knowing something of the devastation caused to the Ik by the carve up
into Kenya, Sudan etc I agree with your use of the term "havoc".

Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
PO Box 3460 NT 0832, AUSTRALIA
Ph. 61 08 89 328306
Birdwatching and Indigenous tourism consultant
PhD Candidate

http:// www.denisegoodfellow.com
http://web.mac.com/goodfellowdl
http://www.earthfoot.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baby-dreaming
http://www.ausbird.com
http://birderstravel.com





on 4/2/09 5:05 PM, Steve Potter at  wrote:

> Why do birders create State lists?
>
> The nature of man is to bring order to his surroundings. We create lists as
> it's part of our DNA. What sort of lists and why is a personal thing.
> Boundary's are a part of what we have been stuck with, but you have got to
> have something to define the list. In Africa for instance some ignorant
> Euros and Poms drew lines right through people groups to carve up the
> territories creating havoc but I do have a "birds of Malawi" list not a
> "birds of the Chewa speaking people"...
>
> I list my own state and country but am looking to do the other states as
> well. I also list birding spots, ie Birds of xxx National park, birds of the
> Noosa region... for reference. No one will look at them except me but there
> fun!! A bit like slides from old holidays......
>
> I also list how may surf spots I've surfed (this has its own set of
> criteria) - 218 - I would like to know how many times each and how many
> waves caught per session but I think that would be a bit over the top.....
>
> Also Countries of the world I've visited etc
>
> List are fun, some people collect stamps and rocks. I have a friend who
> collects sand from beaches he visits... but that could be deemed as
> environmentally uncouth..
>
> Cheers
>
> Steve Potter
> Blackwood, South Australia
>
>
> Why do birders create State lists?
> from [Frank O'Connor]
> [Permanent Link][Original]
> To:
> 
> Subject:
> Why do birders create State lists?
> From:
> Frank O'Connor < >
> Date:
> Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:25:15 +0900
>
>
> Because it is a free country ..............
>
> Seriously, I do keep state lists. It started because the first field guide
> that I bought was Simpson & Day, and it has check boxes next to the
> distribution maps. So (for some reason I cannot remember) I ticked a box for
> each state I saw the species in. When Christidis & Boles came out in 1994, I
> collated the information and have maintained my state lists since.
>
> For anyone interested, my state totals are
>
> Queensland 494 (including Torres Strait islands)
> WA 480 (not including Ashmore, Cocos or Christmas)
> NSW 336 (not including Lord Howe)
> NT 289
> Victoria 259
> SA 240
> Tasmania 145 (not including Macquarie)
>
> For some reason, I haven't recorded ACT. I have only passed through a couple
> of times. I have separate lists for each island territory.
>
> Queensland and WA are the only states I have birded extensively. There are
> massive holes in the other states. I don't plan trips to fill in these
> holes, but if I happen to be in a state, then I do try to add a few more
> 'state ticks'. I might make an exception for Queensland and plan a trip to
> take it to 500 as a nice round number, but I would also be looking for
> mammals, butterflies, etc at the same time. WA has always been my main list
> even before 1994. I only put together my Australian list when C&B1994 was
> published.
>
> As for biogeographical regions I can't see how you can clearly differentiate
> them in the field. You can be standing on the edge of a "freshwater wetland"
> surrounded by open "grass fields" with some "woodland" close enough by. Or
> standing in "coastal heath" looking at birds on the "coastal beaches", and
> some breeding on a nearby "offshore island" with some "pelagic" birds also
> flying by. Yes I know these aren't exactly the 85 "recognised" bioregions
> quoted by Laurie, but I am not going to make 3 or 4 separate lists when I am
> in the field. They all go on to the one Atlas form.
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Frank O'Connor           Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
> Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email : 
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