Hi All, I’ve been twitching since the early nineties, feverishly chasing after vagrants new and rare to Australia. My Oz total now stands at 753 given my last twitch for the Eyebrowed Thrush near Atherton. I have in the past spent what must be thousands of dollars on fuel, airfares, accommodation, site fees, food, etc., and many hundreds of hours going for the latest vagrant arrivals before they disappear or die or get predated. Great fun.
However, things seem to be changing. In recent years I’ve thought about going for the latest vagrants in Broome and Perth, like the Semi-palmated Plover in Broome and the Northern Pintail in Perth,, and even the Princess Parrot in the Centre, but somehow have lost the compulsion to go for them. Money and time are not the determining factors. I just seem to have lost steam.
The recent Widgeon in WA and the current Wagtail in Alice have of course caught my attention, but I find I just can’t be bothered going for them. What for? Just another tick in my list? I was hoping to catch up with a Black-headed Gull in Darwin sometime, but having just been to the UK (without my bins) I saw hundreds of them. And widgeons. So what?
Surely this sort of thinking is sacrilege to the true twitcher I thought I was. Now the thinking is “so what if I don’t see them?”
I used to think that lifting my total towards 800 was important to me, now it seems entirely immaterial. So what if other people get a bigger list than me? It doesn’t affect anything does it . I collect beautiful pictures of rare birds on the internet. Not the same as seeing them in the flesh ? Of course not. So?
In the past I’ve had many a heated discussion with some of our more academic birdos over the value of twitching, which they of course consider contributes very little to the important issues of habitat and species conservation. I have to agree with them. What possible useful impact can a single vagrant achieve before it dies or gets eaten?
Of course a group of vagrants, like the Canada Geese of a few years ago, if left to establish and form ever growing numbers, can have effects on habitat usage, nest sites, food supplies etc, which upsets the natural ecological balance and often affect indigenous species adversely. Moreover, many of these feral groups are now too well established over time to be eradicated, and isn’t it better to learn to live with them than get all upset about them. Feral colonies are only good for twitchers but only of nuisance value for conservationists.
I don’t understand how my drop off in zeal has come about. Those disdainful of twitching might suggest that “Aha, at last he’s come to his senses”, but I don’t accept that. The thought of seeing a new bird is still interesting , even exciting, but I just can’t be bothered going after them anymore. I Googled the creek where the Widgeon was seen in WA, and I thought about asking Chris Watson precisely which garden in Alice has the Wagtail. But to what avail? I know I’m not going.
Is there anybody out there suffering from a similar malaise ?
Tony
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That’s a well articulated perspective Tim.
As I see it, the key factor is the thing that motivates a twitcher out of the door …
The drive to see as many possible species in a geographic area is different to the drive to see all the species that could be expected to be seen in a geographic area. The emphasis in the former case is numerical – each species is a tick. The emphasis in the latter is broader. For example, seeing the 10 species of grasswrens in Australia would have greater meaning to me than seeing an equal number of vagrants. Similarly, the psychology of a planned holiday is different to that of the hasty dash.
If you are just increasing the number of ticks you have, the novelty is likely to wear off. If you want to spread your wings and make the world your oyster or you want more than simple identification, the enjoyment is less likely to wear off.
Perhaps the greatest value of chasing vagrant birds is in the social interaction it engenders in the birding population … perhaps they are the birding equivalent of leks – otherwise solitary individuals come together for a shared purpose …
Regards, Laurie
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Tony, What an interesting range of perspectives on our collective passion that created!
As a very infequent “poster” it’s always a great pleasure to understand the motivations of all the great contributors to the list who debate with passion, organise opportunities (like pelagics) and share info with such great generosity.
I reckon there is no “right” way to enjoy birding/ornithology or whatever you prefer – provided we do no harm and preferably contribute to conservation, or the body of knowledge, in our own way.
I wouldn’t chase the Forest Wagtail in the Alice either for what it’s worth. I have enjoyed them while living in Asia. And I cant tell you what my Australian “count” is to be honest – only the count of species I have “Atlassed”. It’s understanding birds in their environment, the ecology if you like, that gives me enjoyment.
Does that mean I dont get excited when I see a new species? Course not! Would I get a kick out of taking a great image of something rare or beautiful? You bet. And the great media coverage the Alice Wagtail generated has got to be a positive? (never mind the great collaboration and generosity displayed by all involved).
To each his own I reckon Tony. A great Aussie list and congratulations – but like Penny I bet you will always enjoy one of your “locals” singing it’s head off next spring in the afternoon light?
When you stop getting an extra lift from that – that’s when you start worrying!
Thanks for the post Graeme Stevens
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Thank you Greg. Seen anything about lately ??
Tony
Thank you Ivor.
Tony
Sent: Thursday, 9 May 2013 1:14 PM
Tony,
My Aussie list is approaching 600 and after 2 aborted Pelagic attempts (there is a message there) I’ve decided to use birdwatching as a way of travelling around and if we find the target bird, that’s a bonus. There are other things about this sort of travel that also bring rewards – yesterday at an info centre we found Mulberry & Apple jam ($5 for a large jar) in Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula – worth travelling from Townsville for alone without the bonus of Malleefowl & Banded Stilt at Inness NP!
I’ll turn 70 this year and birds keep providing me with a focus that helps let the rest of life in. When you’re dead no one will care what your bird score was.
Thanks for raising the topic, helps keep our lives in perspective.
Cheers
Ivor
Hi All, I’ve been twitching since the early nineties, feverishly chasing after vagrants new and rare to Australia. My Oz total now stands at 753 given my last twitch for the Eyebrowed Thrush near Atherton. I have in the past spent what must be thousands of dollars on fuel, airfares, accommodation, site fees, food, etc., and many hundreds of hours going for the latest vagrant arrivals before they disappear or die or get predated. Great fun.
However, things seem to be changing. In recent years I’ve thought about going for the latest vagrants in Broome and Perth, like the Semi-palmated Plover in Broome and the Northern Pintail in Perth,, and even the Princess Parrot in the Centre, but somehow have lost the compulsion to go for them. Money and time are not the determining factors. I just seem to have lost steam.
The recent Widgeon in WA and the current Wagtail in Alice have of course caught my attention, but I find I just can’t be bothered going for them. What for? Just another tick in my list? I was hoping to catch up with a Black-headed Gull in Darwin sometime, but having just been to the UK (without my bins) I saw hundreds of them. And widgeons. So what?
Surely this sort of thinking is sacrilege to the true twitcher I thought I was. Now the thinking is “so what if I don’t see them?”
I used to think that lifting my total towards 800 was important to me, now it seems entirely immaterial. So what if other people get a bigger list than me? It doesn’t affect anything does it . I collect beautiful pictures of rare birds on the internet. Not the same as seeing them in the flesh ? Of course not. So?
In the past I’ve had many a heated discussion with some of our more academic birdos over the value of twitching, which they of course consider contributes very little to the important issues of habitat and species conservation. I have to agree with them. What possible useful impact can a single vagrant achieve before it dies or gets eaten?
Of course a group of vagrants, like the Canada Geese of a few years ago, if left to establish and form ever growing numbers, can have effects on habitat usage, nest sites, food supplies etc, which upsets the natural ecological balance and often affect indigenous species adversely. Moreover, many of these feral groups are now too well established over time to be eradicated, and isn’t it better to learn to live with them than get all upset about them. Feral colonies are only good for twitchers but only of nuisance value for conservationists.
I don’t understand how my drop off in zeal has come about. Those disdainful of twitching might suggest that “Aha, at last he’s come to his senses”, but I don’t accept that. The thought of seeing a new bird is still interesting , even exciting, but I just can’t be bothered going after them anymore. I Googled the creek where the Widgeon was seen in WA, and I thought about asking Chris Watson precisely which garden in Alice has the Wagtail. But to what avail? I know I’m not going.
Is there anybody out there suffering from a similar malaise ?
Tony
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Hi Penny, I don’t think I know you, but thank you for your thoughts.
Aging process? Oh dear.
Tony
Hah, Now here’s an interesting thought from provocative Ian in Tasmania.
Best twitch?, difficult to decide but the Cooktown Gull and the Whim Creek Crake have to be well up there. And the .. and the ..
Tony
Tony,
I went through almost exactly the same thing over 10 years ago, in a different situation and I think I know how you feel. I was a hardened twitcher in the UK and hated missing vagrants. I would take off from work at the earliest opportunity, hopefully combining with mates, but often going on my own anywhere in the country (except perhaps the most remote Scottish islands).
After a while I started having the occasional holiday abroad, and my job started to take me to interesting locations (like South Africa at least 3 times). I found it harder and harder to rouse myself for twitches and I was too far behind the top blokes to ever be in the top 10 or so listers. I missed a couple of birds that way, either going too late or not at all, but it all came to a head when a Little Swift was in the country – about a 3 hour drive from where I lived. I prevaricated for 2 weeks and then had to go on my own. I turned up 15 minutes after the bird was last seen (it had roosted in the same place for 2 weeks and frequented nearby fields and its disappearance coincided with the farmer starting to plough up the stubble).
As I drove home, I just wondered what the hell I was doing. Petrol is expensive in the UK. I had recently seen millions of the things in South Africa. Years before I remember coming back from a holiday in Canada once and dumping wife and baby straight after landing and screeching off after an American sparrow of some sort – again I had seen loads in the preceding couple of weeks! I enjoyed the fact that I had been everywhere (man) in the UK, but it was getting repetitious. Twitching just lost its sheen. Why spend all that money and effort for a number on a list, when you can delight in the same species and hundreds more on a proper holiday, with a relaxed instead of pressured situation, seeing them in their correct habitat, breeding plumages and experiencing a new country? It was weird letting go, but whilst I wondered why I had bothered in the past, I put it down to having a great crack at the time, which I really did for most of the ten or eleven years I did it.
In the end I found I gained more than I gave up. When I came to Aus 10 years ago, I decided I would NOT go on twitches. I’ve seen all the birds that have turned up here as vagrants. I just want to see all the regular species and have 20 or 30 to go. That’s enough for me in Australia (and you can add NZ I suppose). Twitching is enormously expensive here due to the distances involved – you might as well go to New Caledonia and see a Kagu (that’s an ambition for me – it would be nice to see at least one bird from every bird family in the world – which should keep me going a while!). I still see my twitching mates on a birding holiday once every year or two.
Twitching (and I suppose any casual birding really) has no intrinsic value at all and in fact might be a realtively minor contributor to pollution etc.. The best one can say is that hopefully most proponents of it also have an interest in the environments they visit and to some extent might contribute to awareness of conservation and/or eco tourism, and usually have some sort of parallel conservation involvement.
I just think “each to his own”, and have a great time out birding, wherever you go. Let anyone who’ll listen know how great it is. And try and put a little back into conservation (I know we’re pushing water up hill, but we can’t just despair).
All the best and see you around somewhere, I hope.
Tim
Hi All, I’ve been twitching since the early nineties, feverishly chasing after vagrants new and rare to Australia. My Oz total now stands at 753 given my last twitch for the Eyebrowed Thrush near Atherton. I have in the past spent what must be thousands of dollars on fuel, airfares, accommodation, site fees, food, etc., and many hundreds of hours going for the latest vagrant arrivals before they disappear or die or get predated. Great fun.
However, things seem to be changing. In recent years I’ve thought about going for the latest vagrants in Broome and Perth, like the Semi-palmated Plover in Broome and the Northern Pintail in Perth,, and even the Princess Parrot in the Centre, but somehow have lost the compulsion to go for them. Money and time are not the determining factors. I just seem to have lost steam.
The recent Widgeon in WA and the current Wagtail in Alice have of course caught my attention, but I find I just can’t be bothered going for them. What for? Just another tick in my list? I was hoping to catch up with a Black-headed Gull in Darwin sometime, but having just been to the UK (without my bins) I saw hundreds of them. And widgeons. So what?
Surely this sort of thinking is sacrilege to the true twitcher I thought I was. Now the thinking is “so what if I don’t see them?”
I used to think that lifting my total towards 800 was important to me, now it seems entirely immaterial. So what if other people get a bigger list than me? It doesn’t affect anything does it . I collect beautiful pictures of rare birds on the internet. Not the same as seeing them in the flesh ? Of course not. So?
In the past I’ve had many a heated discussion with some of our more academic birdos over the value of twitching, which they of course consider contributes very little to the important issues of habitat and species conservation. I have to agree with them. What possible useful impact can a single vagrant achieve before it dies or gets eaten?
Of course a group of vagrants, like the Canada Geese of a few years ago, if left to establish and form ever growing numbers, can have effects on habitat usage, nest sites, food supplies etc, which upsets the natural ecological balance and often affect indigenous species adversely. Moreover, many of these feral groups are now too well established over time to be eradicated, and isn’t it better to learn to live with them than get all upset about them. Feral colonies are only good for twitchers but only of nuisance value for conservationists.
I don’t understand how my drop off in zeal has come about. Those disdainful of twitching might suggest that “Aha, at last he’s come to his senses”, but I don’t accept that. The thought of seeing a new bird is still interesting , even exciting, but I just can’t be bothered going after them anymore. I Googled the creek where the Widgeon was seen in WA, and I thought about asking Chris Watson precisely which garden in Alice has the Wagtail. But to what avail? I know I’m not going.
Is there anybody out there suffering from a similar malaise ?
Tony
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Yes Tony, I also suffer this – it’s part of the aging process. More and more a desire to sit and contemplate the beauties of nature immediately around you – watch your local common birds (wrens, thornbills, honeyeaters) enjoy themselves in your bird baths or forage in the plants growing in your garden.
Congratulations……………….
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Tony,
It just sounds like you have become a birdwatcher, rather than a twitcher. No great harm in that. Welcome to the club.
Carl Clifford
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Tony, perhaps you haven’t fallen off the perch, but have just grown new wings – enjoy your new found freedom! Arwen
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Tony
Over many years a persons interest in anything will wax and wane, so, don’t beat yourself up about it, you have given it a good effort. Maybe something inside you is now satisfied, now that you have a very respectable list for Australia and have birded in other parts of the world. For myself I hope to one day have that satisfaction.
Greg Little
Did you ever have a goal with all this twitching? For most people, 700 is an unachievable target, so maybe you’ve gone so far past it that you feel like you’re done with it.
Or perhaps you were never that interested in vagrants, and you’ve done all the natives. Maybe you should be thinking of a Night Parrot expedition instead.
I can’t say I’m speaking from much experience. I did a rough count the other day and found I was well into the 300s – about 50 higher than I expected.
Peter Shute
Sent from my iPad
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Good God, Tony!!!
You need to see a doctor, urgently………
You, of all people! That’s like Hugh Hefner saying “he isnt interested in young, buxom blondes anymore”.
At least you now give me a chance to catch up to you. But I dont want to hear that you have fallen out of the cage, as well, any time soon.
Regards Mate,
Green Jay.
*Yours in all things* “*GREEN”* ** *John Harris* *Croydon, Vic* * Owner – Wildlife Experiences Ecologist/Zoologist* *Nature Photographer* *Wildlife Guide* *wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com* *0409090955* ** *President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria* *(www.fncv.org.au)*
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