Or is it?
I've been following the correspondence on what constitutes a tick with
some bemusement. I guess we each have our own set of rules and I reckon
there are 4 main types of ticks.
The first type is when you are just starting to watch birds seriously -
you are with a group and someone points out a new bird to you. You see it,
so, "tick". I am eternally grateful to all those experienced birders who
point out birds to me and pass on their knowledge, but, the ticks aren't
really mine.
The 2nd type is what I call the Deferred Tick. Again, you are still pretty
new at the game. You catch a glimpse of a bird, or hear a snatch of a
song but you have absolutely no idea what it is. You go to your field
guides, work out some possibilities, go back into the bush (or whereever)
and finally see the bird enough times to make a positive ID. Now that's a
satisfying tick.
The 3rd type (are you still with me?) is the YES! Tick. Here you have a
little more experience. You may be going to a new part of the country. You
know what birds are likely and you have done your homework. You see a
movement or hear a sound, you lift your glasses and there it is - it isn't
a plate in a field guide, it isn't a photograph. It's a bird, and you know
exactly what it is, instantly. YES!
The last type, and I am just starting to get some of these, are where the
grapevine tells you that a certain bird, usually rare, is to be found at a
particular spot. I'm not sure how I feel about these. I'm delighted to see
them and tick them, but do I really deserve them?
As for other categories of ticks:
Dead birds - certainly not! I have a couple stored away (memories and
notes, not the actual birds).
Heard-only birds - ditto.
It's great fun isn't it? Happy birding.
Glen White
Melbourne
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