G’day,
I think that the recent email from Bob Inglis got it just right with regard to reporting rarities. It really is the right and pleasure of the finder to do the necessaries. And if they are not “online”, then to approve of someone else reporting the sighting. In fact, I had just received permission, for want of a better word, to announce the presence of the Pacific and Kelp Gulls (after people were satisfied with their identity) when up popped Paul on Bribie and posted the news. That’s good too – if you find something let people know asap. Hi Paul.
However, there is another side to all of this, and the suspicion that news might not be emerging from Bribie as readily as in the past. Note that I no longer live there so am now only on the outside looking in. The Bribie birding population is mostly made of retired folk who are enjoying their golden years on a wonderful island with wonderful birds. They really aren’t aware of the twitching scenario and how keen many of us are to see a rarity. They certainly don’t subscribe to birding-aus or keep tabs on eremea, so perhaps gentle encouragement is the order of the day.
But a couple of events occurred recently that might lead to an appreciation of why Bribie Islanders could be reluctant to pass on news. After I posted to birding-aus last year that there were three Baillon’s Crakes at Buckley’s Hole, there was standing-room only in the hide on the two days after the weekend. All well and good but on the third day locals were appalled to find some photographers in the hide using continuous playback of jacana’s alarm calls to entice the breeding jacanas close to the hide. I have no issue with photographers (I take photographs) and no issue with playback (I use it) but surely not in a public hide in a conservation park and in order to disturb breeding birds!
And then there was the Pale-vented Bush-hen. Again, local birders were dismayed (I nearly said disgusted) to find a succession of photographers with booming playback equipment, ignoring the folk in the hide and trying to get a bush-hen in view for that perfect picture. It’s not as if it was an OBP!! I understand that several of these people are well-known and that some supply photographs to our erudite magazines. All a bit bewildering for local Bribie birdwatchers. In fact the bush-hens abandoned the area immediately after one chick was able to travel.
If I find another Antarctic Tern or Laughing Gull on the beach I will announce it immediately but when I spot a Pheasant-tailed Jacana at Buckley’s Hole …..
Cheers – Trevor Ford. ===============================
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