[obol] The times, they are a-changin'

From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 19:06:38 -0700
Dave Irons wrote: 

> Working to raise the bar is probably best done one on one or in small
> groups or when leading a trip into the field, as that provides a
> context for meaningful teaching

I totally agree, except this doesn't happen all that much anymore. 

Like Dave and Shawneen, I've volunteered to lead quite a few field
trips, and I like to think that I'm pretty sociable when it comes to
random encounters in the field, as I try to stop and talk to just about
everyone that I meet in the field, whether they're birders, hunters, or
random dog-walkers.

However, my impression is that person-to-person field interactions are
no longer the main way that most people approach birding. Even on
Audubon field trips, I don't see a lot of new faces in the group from
year to year, compared with the number of new birders who are popping
up.

Last weekend I was out to Finley NWR, which is a little farther than I
usually roam. I saw more than a dozen other birders/photographers out
there, each in their own vehicles. As I rolled by each one, I had my
window down, looked at them and gestured to indicate I'd be happy to
chat, figuring we could share some sightings while we were birding the
same stretch of road (figured they probably saw more ducks, but I could
have told them where to look for Horned Larks and pipits). 

But every single one averted their eyes, looked somewhere else as we
passed, and kept going. I don't think I'm all that scary-looking, so it
was hard to figure. I stopped by the prairie overlook and there was a
young family out there, wearing Oregon Ducks regalia, but they kept
their backs to me the whole time.

After I got home I found half a dozen reports on eBird from birders who
must have been out there at exactly the same time as I was.

My conclusion from that and other several similar experiences over the
past year is that a lot of today's birders are just not looking for
interactions with anyone else who happens to be out there with the same
interest. They can find what they need to know on the internet.

I don't see any other way other than OBOL to reach new birders with
ideas on birding ethics. eBird doesn't seem to support any discussion
forums that would replace list-serves such as OBOL. Maybe there's a
Facebook or Tumblr page out there where young birders are discussing
these same issues, but I haven't heard of it.

Anyway my conclusion is that OBOL is the last, best remaining forum for
discussing topics that are of broad relevance for birding in Oregon.
People who are just looking for RBAs and quick twitches have other
places to go; this is the only true statewide discussion forum.

Good birding,
Joel




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[obol] The times, they are a-changin'

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