Thanks very much Ian for the useful, informative and encouraging
response. I've already emailed you about your course which is something I
was looking for but didn't ask in the right places.
Thanks too to Anthony, Geoffrey and those who emailed me privately with
info I really appreciate and can use.
On the topic of beginners and this email list, I would like to encourage
people - especially experienced bird people - to reply **to the list**
rather than privately more often, for the sake of beginners and others who
pick up so much info that way. I realise there needs to be a balance
between information and clogging the list arteries, but provided there are
no photos or other attachments in replies it isn't much in terms of
bandwidth, and if subject headings are used well it should be easy
for sanguine experts to ignore stuff they aren't interested in. This is
how my other lists work and although it would increase traffic I'm sure
people could cope easily by skimming the subject headings and only reading
items of likely interest. I believe it would make the list a more broadly
useful and maybe even more entertaining resource.
My last suggestion - is it possible to implement an automatic upper limit
on email size to avoid the kind of accident that I and others have made,
without causing embarrassment, or irritation/frustration to other users?
Julian
At 10:00 AM 18/08/06, you wrote:
Hello Julian. I'd actually put this one aside to let someone more
qualified than I answer, but Janette's timely comment made me realise that
perhaps we all do that too often.
By taking the plunge now, I'm not for a moment suggesting that I'm the
best one to do this, but as on other occasions perhaps if I start off with
a couple of basic suggestions, then others can come in with more useful stuff.
Firstly, don't despair! The first months are the hardest, when everything
is new and there are no reference points. But you're already making
progress - you've recognised your bird as a thornbill and a while ago you
couldn't have done that; give yourself credit. For a while, a flock of
birds is just that - a homogeneous mass. But as you persevere with the
commoner ones everywhere you go, you'll find that you can automatically
'screen out' the Silvereyes, White-plumed HEs, Yellow-rumped Thornbills
etc and focus on the less familiar ones. (Then go back and enjoy the ones
you initially screened out!) You'll find yourself knowing if something is
'different'.
There's no quick fix I'm afraid - in fact there's no substitute at all for
lots of practice. Get familiar with your field guides (and if I may, I'd
suggest both a 'national' guide and the McComas Taylor's "FG to the Birds
of the ACT", published by the ACT Nat Parks Assoc - that filters out for
you the things that are only in Kakadu or Tassie, so you're not spending
time wondering if it's one of them!). Go through them and through them,
until you know what to expect and where to look in the book. In
particular, try to get a feel for different groups - as you're obviously
already doing!
Listen too - and if you don't recognise a call, always follow it up. We
remember both call and bird better that way.
Don't try to do it all on your own. COG is full of knowledgeable and
generous birdos who are happy to share their knowledge. Go on all the
excursions you can and announce yourself as a tyro and people will look
out for you. We were all there once!
Thornbills - all the above apply, and I'd challenge any of my colleagues
to say that they don't sometimes have to spend a while on one before
they're (reasonably!) confident of what they're looking at. Get in the
habit initially of a little check list. You've recognised eye colour as
important - spot on!; is it alone/a pair, or a flock?; mostly on ground or
in foliage?; streaked anywhere? on the forehead? scalloped on forehead?
eyebrow? and of course contrasting rump colour? (And I have more than once
(or twice!) seen yellow rumps initially which, in different light didn't
look so yellow after all... Some Buffies are brighter than others! Or
their bums are anyway...)
OK, more than enough from me - over to someone else.
On the behaviour etc; I am very reluctant to say this, being very
scrupulous about anything resembling advertising on this list. However
this does seem pertinent in the context. I teach a course called
'Understanding Birds' which just may be of use. If anyone's interested,
please contact me off line.
And just one final suggestion - don't let anything overwhelm your simple
pleasure in the birds themselves.
happy birding
Ian
---
Ian Fraser, <>
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Wordsmithing
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560 fax: 61 2 6247 3227
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Cheers
Julian
Canberra
Australia
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