Don’t assume
By Birding-Aus, on July 15th, 2014
Further to my little lecture on perspective last night, another cautionary tale: Don’t assume that vehicles parked in a known birding hotspot are looking for birds. Stopped at the well-publicized Banded Lapwing spot on Beach Rd at Avalon (Vic) this morning and noticed one vehicle was empty – then asked the man and woman in the second vehicle if they were looking for the Banded Lapwings (I hadn’t been able to spot any as I drove out to WTP earlier). They gave me an odd look, said “No!” and wound their window back up. I didn’t bother hanging round to try to spot the lapwings …. Russell Woodford Birding-Aus List Owner _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
It can work both ways. I remember some years ago a group of us was banding birds in coastal dunes about 50 km south of Perth. While we were doing the rounds of the mist nets a retired couple who had gone for a walk through the dunes came across one of our temporarily unattended mist nets and found a bird in it. They immediately thought that the mist net belonged to a bird smuggler, so freed the bird and took the mist net away with them as evidence. Upon arriving at the location where the mist net had been, we realised that our bird-banding activities had been disrupted and so we decided to pack up for the day. Upon arriving back at our cars in a nearby parking area with the bird-banding gear, the couple who took the mist net enquired in the strongest terms possible as to what we were doing. When I explained that we had been bird-banding as part of a research project, the couple were very red-faced and apologetic. They explained that they had assumed we were bird smugglers, had broken into one of our cars to gather further evidence of this activity and had called the police. The police arrived a few minutes later. Fortunately, one of the policemen who arrived on the scene was a friend of my family and was aware of our bird-banding program. The stolen incriminating evidence (the mist net and essays) was handed back to me and, after further brief discussion, everyone headed home. It was a good thing that this couple was initially concerned about our activities, concerned enough to call the police. But it was wrong of them to take the law into their own hands by removing a mist net, and breaking into someone’s car to remove potential items of incrimination (some uni student essays which I was going to take home and mark overnight!). Next time we were banding birds at that location, the couple came along with us out of interest, which was the best form of education for them. Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW —–Original Message—– Green Sent: Tuesday, 15 July 2014 10:24 PM Hi Russell I heard a perfect saying the other day that fits this thread. Never assume anything! It makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. Bob Green _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
I like it! Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate goodfellow@bigpond.com.au Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory 043 8650 835 On 15 Jul 2014, at 9:53 pm, Green < shriketit@bigpond.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
In the early 90s Brett Lane and I and a team of field assistants surveyed Gouldian Finch in some fairly remote areas. On this occasion we were somewhere between Pine Creek and the southern boundary of Kakadu National Park. I knew from previous survey work and my contacts that marijhuana was grown in the area. Also there were old miners and, I guess one might call them hermits, scattered about the place. All were known to take pot shots at strangers. So I told the team not to approach any signs of human habitation. One day, travelling to a study site from our camp, we came upon a couple of tents. I advised the group to skirt widely around them which we did then, and on consecutive days. Then one afternoon a couple strode into camp and asked why we had been avoiding them. He turned out to be a GEOLOGIST and she his field assistant! Very embarrassing. Denise On 15 Jul 2014, at 9:55 pm, Philip Veerman < pveerman@pcug.org.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Russell I heard a perfect saying the other day that fits this thread. Never assume anything! It makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. Bob Green _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
I have a similar story and although not really that humorous, it does make you realise how we assume everyone else is on the same wavelength as us. It was 2011, before Mt Lyndhurst was off limits to birders. We had driven in from the north past the site to pay our fee for site admission at the Lyndhurst pub and had spent a few hours looking round. We saw Thick-billed Grasswren throughout the area, but the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface were proving more time consuming. We walked out to the front of the site and there was a gentleman walking around not far from the rusty car – obviously this guy must be here for the birds, so I thought it only right that I go over and give him the good oil on what we had seen so far. Dip doo – when I started dribbling on about Grasswrens all I got was a blank look, birds?? I’m here to see the car mate! and with that we parted company………. The car was much better than what I had expected it to be, but to go all the way out there to see it? He must have been thinking the same thing about the birds. All a matter of perspective!! As for the Whiteface, I had wasted all this time following up other folk’s oil and in the end I just went back to birding basics. There were well worn tracks across the landscape, so we just followed them slowly in the car seeking out mixed passerine foraging groups. We came across a flock of Orange Chats and voila the Whitefaces were with them……. Allan Richardson Morisset NSW On 15/07/2014, at 7:42 PM, Denise Goodfellow wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Brian, I bet there a many tales like yours, Russell’s and mine around. Perhaps Birding Aus should consider running a competition for the funniest birding tale! I’ll put up $50 for a prize! Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate goodfellow@bigpond.com.au Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory 043 8650 835 On 15 Jul 2014, at 3:11 pm, brian fleming < flambeau@labyrinth.net.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Many years ago the devious organizer of a treasure hunt issued the instruction at the start: Go to XX Park, where you will find a familiar Ford V8. The password is “Cheese”. At said park a friend found a V8, knocked on the window -“Cheese, Cheese. Have you got the clues?”You can imagine the reaction! Brian Fleming (who was innocent) _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Yes, had a similar experience a few years ago in a conservation park north of Brisbane inland from the Sunshine Coast. Like your case Russ there was another car parked with someone in it. When we returned from our walk our hire car had been broken into and some of our gear stolen. One of us should have stayed with the car and do now. —–Original Message—– Russell Woodford Sent: Tuesday, 15 July 2014 10:49 AM Further to my little lecture on perspective last night, another cautionary tale: Don’t assume that vehicles parked in a known birding hotspot are looking for birds. Stopped at the well-publicized Banded Lapwing spot on Beach Rd at Avalon (Vic) this morning and noticed one vehicle was empty – then asked the man and woman in the second vehicle if they were looking for the Banded Lapwings (I hadn’t been able to spot any as I drove out to WTP earlier). They gave me an odd look, said “No!” and wound their window back up. I didn’t bother hanging round to try to spot the lapwings …. Russell Woodford Birding-Aus List Owner _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
It happens! I made a similar request up here of occupants in a car (about another bird, of course). They were not happy. Turned out they were plain clothes police keeping a house under surveillance! Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate goodfellow@bigpond.com.au Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory 043 8650 835 On 15 Jul 2014, at 10:49 am, Russell Woodford < rdwoodford@gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
It happens! I made a similar request up here of occupants in a car (about another bird, of course). They were not happy. Turned out they were plain clothes police keeping a house under surveillance! Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate goodfellow@bigpond.com.au Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Founding Member: Australian Federation of Graduate Women Northern Territory 043 8650 835 On 15 Jul 2014, at 10:49 am, Russell Woodford < rdwoodford@gmail.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org