lorna bloom wrote:
>
>
> The Four Levels of Competence
>
> I read recently, in one of my dog training books, about the four recognised
> levels of competence. The author supplied examples from a particular
> competitive dog sport to illustrate the four levels. I amused myself
> recently on a club outing by looking for examples among my fellow birders.
> Perhaps you might recognise some of these?
>
> 1. The first level is when birders are *subconsciously incompetent*. Birders
> at this level are unaware of their incompetence, can be heard making wildly
> inaccurate identifications and often hold forth loudly on subjects of which
> they have but a superficial understanding. They also tend to get the birds?
> names wrong, and will talk about ?pea-eaters? and ?secret ibises?, for
> example.
>
> 2. Birders who attain the second level are *consciously incompetent*. This
> means they are now aware of how limited their knowledge is and that their
> identification skills need much improvement. Second Level birders are
> characterised by their reluctance to offer information during club outings.
> They shy away from any discussion of a bird?s species, and will generally
> volunteer to scribe at CWAC outings so as to avoid having to identify
> anything.
>
> 3. The third level of competence is when a birder is *consciously
> competent*. These birders have good identification skills, and are the most
> likely to want to help Level One birders. Having attained this stage, the
> Third Level birders are able to pass on useful formulae for the
> identification of similar species, or for separating the boys from the
> girls. For example: ?The male giant kingfisher wears the waistcoat, while
> the female has an apron?. With a lot more practice, these birders can
> become:
>
> 4. *Subconsciously competent*. At this level, the learning process has
> reached its peak. Now a birder is identifying birds effortlessly. Only the
> briefest glimpse or teeniest squawk is sufficient to accurately name any
> species in any location. The subconsciously competent birder has no need of
> formulae or manuals, but can ID birds without conscious thought. Level Four
> birders are regarded with awe by all other levels. This can sometimes result
> in these birders adopting a rather stuck-up approach, and they will usually
> try to avoid First Level birders at all costs.
>
> Afterthought: As with most things, these levels are relative. I was asked
> today where I would position *myself* in this hierarchy. The ensuing
> discussion lead to a disturbing discovery - those of us lurking in Level 2
> occasionally masquerade as Level 4's in the right company!
>
> Sally Adam, The Consciously Incompetent
> Cape Town
Actually, I think the level we operate at depends on the context we are
in. If for example, I am in the areas I regularly atlas and dealing
with the species I regularly atlas, then I can operate at level 4. If
however, I come across some indeterminate quail or happen upon some
anonymous waders then I am down at level 2.
While I am pecking away online, I came across a hybrid eastern-pale
headed rosella in the Brisbane CBD last week. This seemed to be
noteworthy as I rarely see pale-headed rosellas in the CBD and I can't
remember seeing a eastern rosella in the Brisbane metro area before [I
tend to atlas them along the fringes of the scenic rim].
Regards, Laurie.
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