I'm a young birder (Nearly 14) and for my life list, I have the ruling that
I have to remember the first sighting. So some birds that I know I saw when
I went to Cairns at the age of 4, remain off my life list, but others
(Cassowary, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, among others) I can remember (On a
board-walk, a juvenile, we were slightly elevated, and it was below us. And
up high in a tree, on that same board-walk, respectively). And then, again,
I went to Cairns in 2009, and I remember some birds in amazing detail
(Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, I can tell you what branch of what tree and
everything about it), but others I can somewhat remember (Pied
Imperial-Pigeon) but I certainly don't trust my memory, so it remains
un-ticked.
The issue of when to start is a hard one, I can sorta remember from about
4ish, but that is only things that really stuck out to me. Maybe it would be
worth keeping a life list for your little blighter, and when he matures into
a fledged birder, you could ask him which ones he remembers seeing, and
which ones he doesn't, and from there form a life list!), but his mind might
just spark up a false memory...
On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 7:01 PM, Tom and Mandy Wilson <
> wrote:
> Hmmm...not sure about the under 3s, but I can certainly remember as a
> non-birding teenager (but with a birding dad) being taken (dragged was the
> way I felt at the time) to see birds when I lived in Canada - some I now
> realise are pretty good birds. Pileated Woodpecker, Great Gray, Northern
> Hawk, Snowy, Long Eared owls all on my life list as a result!
> Cheers
> Tom Wilson
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