Well, here I am, cumudgeonly as usual. A word of
explanation then.
I certainly do not criticise the photo. Better than some
of mine, that do not even contain a bird.
Being pressed in this pointed and less than friendly manner, I
offer two comments about the posting of cryptic photos. First, such
photos, as we have noted many times, are usually cryptic simply because they
conceal the very features helpful to identification. As one photographer
said when I pointed out the photo was highly ambiguous, lacking the key feature:
“Well if that had been in the photograph I would have known what it was
and wouldn’t have needed to ask you”. Is this really the game
we encourage? If the list really enjoys puzzling over ambiguous photos I
can provide a hundred or so. Indeed I think such a conversation led to
the last issue of my series of ‘Wotsits’.
Secondly, many birdwatchers now carry only a camera and no
binoculars. The view of a bird through a camera lens means (a) a bird
otherwise in full view is in view only briefly and often not in view at all (b)
it is often not in focus (c) relevant information (movement, voice, possibly
even the mate) is not noticed. I am surprised that my suggestion that the
bird would have been identified if an effort had been made to see it is regarded
as unhelpful, offensive even. Oh well, I am probably too old to
understand what the object of ‘birdwatching’ is these days.
From:
[
Sent: Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:08 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Re. [canberrabirds] bird ID please &
sarcastic replies [SEC=PERSONAL]
Hi Chris
This list isn’t the place for sarcastic comments such as the
one you received [Grey Fantail - another case of PWL (Photograph
Without Looking)?”], so please ignore it.
There are lots of birders on this list who enjoy helping out with
photo IDs. As others have pointed out, your bird is indeed a Grey Fantail. Your
description also clearly shows you did look at the bird and list other valuable
features that birders on this list can use to help with identifications. Grey
Fantails are fantastic, energetic little birds that have returned to Canberra
in big numbers over the last month (smaller numbers stay through the winter)
and are always a pleasure to watch and listen to.
There was also a nice adult White-necked Heron hanging around in
front of the Cygnus Hide at lunch yesterday. Also worth keeping an eye out for
is an immature Brown Goshawk which at present is very fond of perching on the
fallen, dead tree outside this hide.
Cheers Dan
