[wisb] Re: Warbler Quiz (long, no sightings)
- From: Peter Gorman <pgorman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Wisconsin Birding Network <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:25:42 -0500
That article can be read here:
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/EcoNatRes.pp69n03
Peter C. Gorman
Head, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center
pgorman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(608) 265-5291
(Mount Horeb, Dane Co.)
On Aug 21, 2012, at 1:18 PM, Bettie R. Harriman wrote:
> I think Ted's questions are well stated. Jim Frank tried to answer
> some of them in an article he wrote for the Passenger Pigeon a few
> years back. The article, called Rare Bird Documentation, appeared in
> Vol. 69, No. 3, Fall 2007, pages 349-357. He uses his own experience
> of writing up the extrememly rare (for Wisconsin) Yellow-browed
> Warbler that he saw in the fall of 2006.
>
> He gives the step by step process he went through. Give it read.
>
> Bettie Harriman
> Pigeon Editor
>
>
> At 12:47 PM 8/21/2012, Edward Keyel wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> I think that Ryan brings up a very important point here. Why are written
>> descriptions so bad? Or, phrased slightly differently, why are they
>> written so poorly? I know that it's certainly something that I struggle
>> with, and if photos are better 95ish% of the time, then I'm not the only
>> one. Some of the questions I'd like to bring up are what makes for a good
>> write-up as well as what makes for being able to make a good write up? Is
>> it enough to say that a bird belongs to a given order//family, or should
>> those traits be explained as well? How much attention has really been paid
>> to the bird itself? Are you learning what the bird actually looks/sounds
>> like (be it shape, color, behavior, etc), or are you just recognizing it?
>>
>> As Ryan mentions, the advantage to photos is that not everyone describes or
>> sees things the same way. Photos (or recordings) give the outside
>> observer(s) a better connection to the subject matter. We also know that
>> photos can be misleading, due to angle, light, behavior, etc, but some of
>> that information can be provided as well to help reduce that. I tend to
>> try to take photos because I know that my written descriptions are weak.
>> Is this a crutch I'm leaning on?
>>
>> It's easy to look in a book, see what traits are pointed out there, and
>> then go ahead and describe those characteristics in a write-up. How does
>> one write a reliable write-up, that doesn't sound like it's taken directlly
>> from a book (be it because a book was directly used or effectively
>> memorized), yet the key points are still addressed?
>>
>> It seems to me that field notes are enormously important, yet I very rarely
>> take them. I'm not sure if it's because I'm too lazy and don't want to
>> take that much time to do so, or if I'm too daunted at the vast task of
>> attempting to write down a myriad of information about one bird, let alone
>> trying to do so for multiple birds. Is my lack of artistic ability such a
>> significant handicap because I'm unable to make accurate sketches and may
>> not be able to process and absorb color and shape behavior well enough? Is
>> my vocabulary also limiting me, because I used choppy instead of snappy?
>>
>> Are there some sample write-ups available for viewing somewhere? Better
>> still, sample write-ups with explanations as to why it is good or bad?
>> What are some of the most frustrating phrases? I have to imagine only
>> getting information like "good view" or "great light" could be very
>> irritating (my apologies for past uses of such simple (for me) and
>> frustrating (for the reviewer) descriptions). Some bad descriptions seem
>> fairly self-explanatorily bad. Look at page such-and-such in so-and-so's
>> book and it looked just like that. Are there others that people seem to
>> think are good descriptions that really aren't?
>>
>> I find that I'm always frustrated when my records are not accepted.
>> However, it's not because "the grumble, grumble records committee didn't
>> accept my record" or because "the stupid e-bird reviewer hates me," but
>> because I couldn't write well enough to convince a group of very
>> experienced birders that I saw the bird I claimed. Especially if I had
>> "good looks" and "great light", one would hope that I should be able to
>> provide the salient points as to why the species is what I say it is, yet
>> sometimes that's not always the case.
>>
>> I suppose that's the beauty of birding though, is that there's always more
>> to learn and people to help you learn it. My apologies if this is too
>> rambly/incoherent.
>>
>> Good birding,
>> Ted Keyel
>> Sun Prairie,
>> Dane County
>>
>> On Tue, Aug 21, 2012 at 10:13 AM, Ryan Brady <ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Sorry Al but photos are better than written descriptions 95-99 times out
>>> of 100. Same as seeing the bird in the field? Absolutely not. But
>>> conclusive in many, many, many more cases than written descriptions. And
>>> the alternative is no photo, which yields zero accountability and little
>>> opportunity for anyone to advance on difficult identifications.
>>>
>>> Sorry for the mini-rant, this is one of my pet peeves.
>>>
>>> Ryan Brady
>>> Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
>>> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady
>>>
>>>> From: alschirmacher@xxxxxxxx
>>>> To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Subject: [wisb] Re: Warbler Quiz
>>>> Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:40:15 -0500
>>>>
>>>> While I enjoy warbler quizzes (far more than empid quizzes!), this
>>> series of photos brings a discussion point to mind:
>>>>
>>>> * Relying on photos as the ultimate identification tool is nearly as
>>> fraught with peril as a written description.
>>>>
>>>> Yet it is so tempting!
>>>>
>>>> Al Schirmacher
>>>> Columbus, WI temporarily
>>>> Princeton, MN again next week
>>>>
>>>> PS Many thanks to Wisbirders for their recommendations, directions and
>>> encouragement during my return to Wisconsin. Had the opportunity to get
>>> away on occasion to a variety of spots from Horicon to Madison, resulting
>>> in 100+ birds and 30+ butterflies, including a life bird, two state birds
>>> and six year birds. Mom passed yesterday, anticipate returning to Minnesota
>>> Sunday.
>>>>
>>>> Special thanks to Peter Fissel, he's a trooper!
>>>>
>>>> ####################
>>>> You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin
>>> Birding Network (Wisbirdn).
>>>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>>>> To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>>>> Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
>>>>
>>>> ####################
>>> You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin
>>> Birding Network (Wisbirdn).
>>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>>> To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>>> Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> ####################
>> You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin
>> Birding Network (Wisbirdn).
>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>> To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
>> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
>> Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
>
> ####################
> You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding
> Network (Wisbirdn).
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
> To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
> Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
>
>
####################
You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding
Network (Wisbirdn).
To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn
Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn
Other related posts:
