Colin
Axeman (Retired)
As far as is possible check out information that people give to you. For example, if someone tells you that there are 3 Blue Tits on the nut feeder and you can get a look, make sure that its not 2 Blue Tits and a Great Tit.
Even the experts make mistakes as this illustration some years ago on the Scilly Isles recounts. I may have forgotten the exact species involved (someone will undoubtedly put me right) but they were very rare ones. An apparent Baillon's Crake had been found and as luck would have it, it was easily seen from a birdwatching hide and was the only bird in view. A large number of birders came to see it and were ushered through the hide in an orderly manner. Several hundred birders had seen the bird and gone home when a birder said that he could not see the Baillon's Crake. When the only bird in view was pointed out to him, he replied that he still could not see the Baillon's Crake, the only bird that he could see was a Sora Rail!! An equally rare bird but a transatlantic one. The moral of the story is always check, don't take information for granted.
:t: Colin
Even the experts make mistakes as this illustration some years ago on the Scilly Isles recounts. I may have forgotten the exact species involved (someone will undoubtedly put me right) but they were very rare ones. An apparent Baillon's Crake had been found and as luck would have it, it was easily seen from a birdwatching hide and was the only bird in view. A large number of birders came to see it and were ushered through the hide in an orderly manner. Several hundred birders had seen the bird and gone home when a birder said that he could not see the Baillon's Crake. When the only bird in view was pointed out to him, he replied that he still could not see the Baillon's Crake, the only bird that he could see was a Sora Rail!! An equally rare bird but a transatlantic one. The moral of the story is always check, don't take information for granted.
:t: Colin
