earlytorise
Well-known member
On a birding holiday,
would you or did you forego a beautiful sight or scene
(the sort that makes a good wildlife documentary)
because the task of ticking more species is more interesting?
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For example, I am actually a bit wary of getting close to a Komodo Dragon, but also because one photograph of one individual is adequate for me. If I were there, I'd tell the guide to move on and focus on birds from thereon out. No need to get up close, or to wait for several of those dragons to exhibit interesting behaviour, or whatever...
In PNG, I might only go for those spectacles that are easy to twitch. The rest I'd be content to tick as mere birds. So for example, the best way to find a bowerbird is at its bower: one may as well film its bower maintenance. But I think I've seen trip reports where the only views of Blue Bird-of-Paradise or King-of-Saxony BoP were scope views of one perched on a tree and then taking off. I'm okay with that - I wouldn't then go the extra mile to watch the mating display, as beautiful as it may be.
There are exceptions, e.g. a portion of a wildlife documentary that grabs my attention for reasons particular to me, so that I decide that I really want to see it for myself. But mostly not.
would you or did you forego a beautiful sight or scene
(the sort that makes a good wildlife documentary)
because the task of ticking more species is more interesting?
-----------
For example, I am actually a bit wary of getting close to a Komodo Dragon, but also because one photograph of one individual is adequate for me. If I were there, I'd tell the guide to move on and focus on birds from thereon out. No need to get up close, or to wait for several of those dragons to exhibit interesting behaviour, or whatever...
In PNG, I might only go for those spectacles that are easy to twitch. The rest I'd be content to tick as mere birds. So for example, the best way to find a bowerbird is at its bower: one may as well film its bower maintenance. But I think I've seen trip reports where the only views of Blue Bird-of-Paradise or King-of-Saxony BoP were scope views of one perched on a tree and then taking off. I'm okay with that - I wouldn't then go the extra mile to watch the mating display, as beautiful as it may be.
There are exceptions, e.g. a portion of a wildlife documentary that grabs my attention for reasons particular to me, so that I decide that I really want to see it for myself. But mostly not.