Gloves off for the ultimate Birdwatcher vs Twitcher Debate! (1 Viewer)

[Michael Frankis]

I remember reading about crop damage to the field adjacent to the hedge in which Britain's first singing River Warbler was holding its territory - it looked pretty bad, and got a lot of press coverage.

The actual valuation by the farmer was that the twitchers had caused less than £20 of crop damage, but that the local rabbits grazing had caused about £500 of crop damage

Michael

 

[pauco]

Twitcher, Ornithologist, Birdwatcher, what the hell does it matter
it your own enjoyment of your hobby and the pleasure you get from it that matters. would I release info of a nest site? never.

 

[Al Downie]

its a bit too obviously a wind-up

Pants. I got a lot more mileage out of it in another thread.

How do I start a list anyway?

Al

 

[Karl J]

Ok, my few thoughts on the subject

Quite honestly I couldn't care what anyone else does, as long as it's within reasonable limits of behaviour.

Went to one twitch but don't want anything to with another, not in the foreseeable future anyway.

Suppression ... hmmm ???... Don't honestly know. My first thought was No Way would I report anything - after Sunday. But having said that I can't think of a single good reason why genuine serious birders should be denied the once-not-too-often chance of seeing something rare just because a few morons can't be reasonable.

Guess it'd depend on what is was. But now I'd also think long & hard about Where it was as well.

 

[shykra]

Question? - Define each category for me, in order (If there is an order). I would like to know what category I am in? (hehehe) Is traveling 168.5 Miles - about 2 hours, 52 minutes to see a female Black-chinned Hummingbird (Arkansas USA mid January) put me in to the twitcher category? How about slamming the brakes, with the family in the car, to stop and see a Squacco Heron at a small fresh water boating club in East Anglia. Or being glad that I am being deployed to some ungodly location in the Middle East to see a lifer? Is this a twitcher or a delusional professional/beginner want to be? Or does enjoying the House Sparrow, European Starling, (Any) Corvus, or seagull for what they are, make me a bit loony?

 

[Jane Turner]

Here goes...

Pure twitching... the act of driving many miles and consequent wastage of energy, bruising the planet etc etc, to see lost vagrants is hard to defend on any level other than the undoubted, but arguably selfish pleasure that it gives to the participants

But what if the discussion at the bird adds little extra understanding to the identification of the species?

What if casual observations of other species are made at the same time and those are sumbitted to the appropriate county recorder and contribute to a long term population dynamics study.

Of course the best way to put something back is to particiapte in a BTO survey.

 

[mcapper]

I agree with Mike's analysis of birdwatcher, twitcher and ornithologist but would make the point that in birding you can be all three whereas an athlete can't. I'd like to think that I am a little of all three.

On the whole I think that we are a nice friendly bunch and well behaved to boot.

However, I have come across one or two situations where behaviour has been less desirable. I recall leaving North Norfolk some years back after a days birding and finding out later that I left just as a Siberian Thrush was found. I was gutted at the time but later heard that this bird, which was clearly knackered, was pushed from pillar to post by overly keen birders - I don't have this first hand though (did anyone see it?).

I saw the Pechora Pipit at Filey in 1994 and left pretty disgusted at the complete lack of consideration. Twitchers are a friendly bunch when it is going well - as I witnessed in a similar situation at the Notts Blyth Pipit when it showed well - but the Pechora Pipit was very uncooperative and the systematic flushing and scrums meant that those who were polite or just not regular rugby players didn't get a look in. I had a non birder with me and was very embarressed to be associated with it all. After rather unsatisfactory views I left them to it.

On the subject of suppression, I think the term is widely misused. I saw regular reports some time back of a Night Heron in Norfolk that was seen flying in/out of a private site. No access to the site was allowed and despite the fact that news was regularly released, the lack of access to the bird led it to be reported later in one the popular birding magazines as 'supressed'. I don't think any of us have a right to see a bird but I know of many who get very het up when a little old lady, concerned at the possible disturbance, won't let them in her garden to see an ovenbird (for example ).


Hey ho, rant over. I feel much better now!

Matthew

 

[Jasonbirder]

Ha! Nothing genuine about that Ovenbird methinks....

 

[ron]

hi everybody, I dont really understand why there is a problem. Everyone can do as they please without causing any problems . Live and let live.

 

[Edward woodwood]

Hi Matthew

seen any snow up there yet?

yes the Sibe thrush was pretty grim
but not as bad as the PG Tips on Blakeney Point - I didn't even bother with that one....if i'm lucky enough to find anything so good on my coastal patch I certainly won't be putting it out!

 

[ron]

twitching

I can't see why we all fall out about this topic. everybody to there own thing.
I usually go birding with my 12 year old son, we had good and bad experiences with both serious "twitchers" and normal everyday birders.
My son was once put on a twitchers shoulders to get a good view of a wilsons phalrope and on the other hand he was refused views through a scope of bearded tits by a group of elderly birders. This event led to me purchasing a scope so that it would never happen again :storm:

 

[mcapper]

Tim

No snow yet, but the Mountain Hares have all gone white so it can't be far away.....!

After all crossbills in the area last winter and the two barred nearby last autumn, they have been very thin on the ground in the latter part of the year. Sadly no Parrot Crossbills to cause me any id headaches. Would I release the news though.... course I would.


Matthew

 

[Grampy Bustard]

Jasonbirder is a bit of a s**t-stirrer, and I thought that was my job.

Twitchers, like any other form of social behaviour, are perfectly entitled to do what the hell they like, as long as it does not infringe the liberties of anyone else.

I just prefer to watch birds on my own, or with friends getting enjoyment from whatever it is I am watching (however common the species). I have twitched a fair bit in the old days, but am completely against the behaviour I have seen on numerous occasions. I have occasionally made an effort in recent years, but choose very carefully the birds I wish to see and the times I go. Missed a few doing this, but who cares.

As for ones I find, I will release some information, but not if there is any danger of crowds in unsuitable places, or at potential breeding sites. Therfore I would consider myself a person who watches birds, rather than a twitcher.

 

[Michael Frankis]

I usually go birding with my 12 year old son.
My son was once .... refused views through a scope of bearded tits by a group of elderly birders :storm:

They ought to have their scopes confiscated! (or at the very least be arrested for cruelty to children)

 

[Edward woodwood]

seconded Michael

old gits

 

[Michael Frankis]

Or bearded tits??

 

[Jasonbirder]

Jasonbirder is a bit of a s**t-stirrer

I know, I know....but whats the fun in a debating forum if we all agree with each other all the time! We`d soon start running out of threads to discuss!

 

[Nina P]

Where on earth would I fit?

I have been interested in watching, listening, trying to identify all types of bird, I have been known to slam on the brakes to watch a bird while out in the car, If I want to see all types of bird, my only way is by car! (Twitcher) but as I am unable to walk more than 100 yds, or stand up for more than ten minutes, I have no option, and I sure as H*** can't remain in the house 24/7, (Prison) If I were to see a rare bird, I'd try and photograph it, note it's flight and feather patterns, habitat, where it is, but notify someone the following day.
List's What are they? never kept one, too busy watching to write, but maybe would draw the finer details in a note book(piece of paper). If I should have a rarity in my garden.....hmmmm, it takes a lot of work but I would definately limit the watchers at the gate, to enable others to see without being stampeeded.
Those old meanies deserve to rot in the fiery place below! I would never deny any person a look through my Bin's or scope, and have had the delight of other watchers showing me different birds through their scope. They'd have been told by me how rude and selfish they were being, no wonder kids don't share these days, if that is the example being set! Utterly disgraceful! What bitter mean old gits!:flyaway: That is what they should do!

 

[william j clive]

I have done it all and enjoyed every moment of it. Started as a boy egger (Tin Hat On!) but stopped doing that quite quickly as my interest in birds grew. Was an avid lister from the start, and still am. I have more lists than you've had hot dinners! Our dairy farm was my local patch in the forties and fifties. Nice spread of habitats - woodland, stream, gorsy hill, marshy bits - bl**dy marvellous.

I was 12 years old when I acquired my first optics. Ten shillings on a market stall and probably made in Tudor times, useless they were. My current Swaro EL is a bit of an improvement! Discovered cars, women and wine and that was that for several years. Having acquired a wife, two children, and a hefty mortgage I had to retire from motor sport and returned to my first love.

There followed a very steady progression through every facet of the hobby, patch watching, days out at local hotspots, doing and organising surveys. Writing monthly county reports for a bird magazine, editing Bird Reports, foreign trips etc. until I became a totally dedicated twitcher in 1996. Went for anything and everything until 2002. You can knock it if you like, but it is, IMHO, the ultimate education.

Sure, you see bad behaviour, though I can count those instances on the fingers of one hand. There are clowns in all walks of life. I still twitch, in Wales only. So I now have a sizeable local patch, and am currently obsessed with increasing my Welsh list. The whole point is that you do whatever currently turns you on, and get as much pleasure as you can from a wonderful hobby. My opening sentence above says it all. I still get as much pleasure watching the birds on my garden feeders (eleven of them) as I did from the Anglesey Black Lark twitch last June.

Clive

 

[Vectis Birder]

There is a place for everyone, as long as they are responsible about their activities, i.e. not harming the birds or distressing them unneccessarily, or not invading someone's land without their consent or damaging property.

As for the media, they seem to not be able to differentiate between a birdwatcher and a twitcher, and that is aggravating to say the least.