I'm a little late but I will chime in as well.
I see there being two distinct joys associated with rare birds.
The first one is what many have talked about. The joy of finding a rare
bird. I think this is as fun as birding gets. I've always thought birding
is a lot like collecting playing cards of some type. You can expect some
common birds (song sparrows, juncos, etc.), you are likely to get a couple
uncommon birds (hutton's vireo, white-throated sparrow, Merlin, etc.), and
every once in a while you get something spectacular (common ground dove,
mountain plover, etc.). Not knowing what you might see every time you head
out is why it's so exciting. Anything is possible and the times you do
find something crazy are moments you'll always remember.
The second joy of seeing rare birds is much more academic. No matter how
many guides you look through birds are different in real life. Chasing rare
birds that have been found by others allow you to study a species you don't
normally see and will help you ID it if you ever see it again in the
future. It's fun to really take the time to look at a rare bird you're
unfamiliar with.
Oh and I guess there's a third joy too. The joy of smooshing in other
peoples' faces that you saw a bird they haven't seen, or the joy of not
allowing them to do so with you! That joy is much smaller than the others,
but I always find a little competition enjoyable.
Thanks for the fun question Doug!
Cheers,
On Wednesday, December 30, 2015, W. Douglas Robinson <
w.douglas.robinson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dave Irons is in a tough spot. He notes that his joy seeing the bluetail
has been affected by the human response associated with limited access to
the bird.
This got me thinking more broadly about factors that influence the level
of joy or pleasure we feel when seeing a rarity.
Why do we feel happy when we encounter a rarity? And, by extension, feel a
sense of loss when we miss one?
Is it simply the thrill of a successful chase?
Is it the satisfaction of experiencing a bird that logically you knew was
bound to show up someday?
Is it the appreciation of what may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance?
Are you less happy if you are the only one to encounter a rarity and do
you feel even happier when others share the experience?
Or, do you feel exactly the opposite and dislike the idea of spending time
and money chasing rarities? If so, do you nevertheless feel happy that
others are enjoying the chase? Why or why not?
Thoughts?
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