Your advice for a first time birder.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @mvecht

 

The “Black Sun” sounds like a remarkable sight!

 

The image in my imagination of a vast moving flock in the sky is powerful.

 

Thank you for telling me.

 

There's nothing comparable here in Central China.

 

After millennia of heavy predation, most species survive in limited numbers.

 

The species which continue to thrive are those in heavily forested deep mountain valleys.

 

As those areas were, and remain, “no go areas”, the species there remain at sustainable levels.

 

With no logging, no hunting, no tourism and no publicity, they're a quiet reservoir of the natural past living today.

 

The feelings of discomfort in forested mountains which have long been present in this culture has, in effect, preserved species.

 

However, the pleasing variety of birds in such forested mountains never reaches Denmark's “Black Sun” density.

 

BTW: As I use Montblanc fountain pens, I've acquired a couple of vintage coral red Danish-made pens from a friend in Denmark.

 

He lives beside the sea where he regularly photographs Danish birds. He's a highly gifted bird-in-flight photographer.

 

He has lovely Dansk-svensk gårdshund, Danish-Swedish Farmdogs, which he photographs with style.

 

Tom K.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Tom Kellie

[mvecht]

@Tom Kellie  There are lots of videos of Black Sun on Youtube. However I guess that Youtube is not available in China?

I found this very nice video that I think you will be able to watch. It was flmed in Ireland and gives a very good impression of the phenomenon.

http://cphpost.dk/news/tech/how-the-swarms-of-black-sun-are-taking-over-the-internet.html

[xelas]

About flocks: this year a flock of about 2 million (2.000.000) Bramblings - Fringilla montifringilla are wintering in a forest about 60 km from Ljubljana. A rare event, seen about every 10 years.

[Tom Kellie]

1 hour ago, mvecht said:

@Tom Kellie  There are lots of videos of Black Sun on Youtube. However I guess that Youtube is not available in China?

I found this very nice video that I think you will be able to watch. It was flmed in Ireland and gives a very good impression of the phenomenon.

http://cphpost.dk/news/tech/how-the-swarms-of-black-sun-are-taking-over-the-internet.html

 

~ @mvecht

 

Yes, YouTube is one of numerous major international Web sites unavailable in mainland China.

 

Thank you so much for the link above.

 

Until today, I've never heard any mention of the Black Sun phenomenon.

 

You're educating me, which is most welcome.

 

Such a large number of birds must consume a considerable amount of food each day.

 

Rice farmers here wouldn't welcome a Black Sun, one suspects.

 

Tom K.

[mvecht]

@Tom Kellie  Not only do they eat a lot they also produce a lot of waste. Actually one of their main defence strategies for raptors is to collectively poop on them . There are known cases of raptors drowning after such an event as they were no longer able to fly.

The starlings only stay in the area during migration and then disperse to to their summer/winter grounds.

During their stay in Denmark they also move around. They typically overnight in reedbeds with up to 6 birds on one reed. After a few days the reed can no longer sustain the weight of the birds, so the starlings have to move.

In Denmark there are organized tours with guides who know exactly where to find the birds on any particular day.

@xelas nice to hear about the Bramblings. I did see similar in Denmark when I was a child, but have not seen it for many years.

[wilddog]

Drifting off Topic quite considerably here, guys.

 

 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, wilddog said:

Drifting off Topic quite considerably

It's the strong easterly winds we have been getting. Even the birds are affected.

[Tom Kellie]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

It's the strong easterly winds we have been getting. Even the birds are affected.

 

~ Yet here in Central China it's been mild all month, no breezes whatsoever.

 

Birds placidly flit around at ease, unaffected by gales elsewhere.

 

It all depends on one's vantage point and the season.

 

First time birders benefit from knowing that gentle, gracious tolerance remains the hallmark of veteran birders.

 

This morning, while putting out millet for the neighborhood flock, I noticed what appeared to be four high school age boys with a guidebook and binoculars, looking up in the dawn redwood trees.

 

They may be visitors to grandparents, here for the Lunar New Year, using their time for birding.

 

Nice to see.

 

Tom K.

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

 

 

~ First-time birders may occasionally feel perplexed by descriptions of bird species in field guides.

 

This came to mind this afternoon while reconfirming bird species identifications in a Non-wildlife Trip Report about a 2013 visit to southeastern China.

 

As an example, Chinese reed warblers are typically distinguished by subtle differences which are carefully explained in field guides.

 

Similarly African cisticolas may best be differentiated by paying careful attention to the nuances cogently presented in field guide entries.

 

The challenge for a first-time birder, or for an aging lifelong bird lover like me, is to grasp what is meant by the technical terms used in species descriptions.

 

A glossary helps to establish meaning, but there often remains doubt as to precisely what and where a particular descriptive term might refer.

 

In entry-level field observation classes for decades, students have been asked to prepare model sketches for flowering plants, trees, grasses, reptiles, mammals, fish, insects and birds.

 

They're free to develop their own approach. What is required is to reasonably sketch complete organism topography with accurate labelling.

 

As to birds, whether waders, pelagic, passerine or others, the aim is not avian art, but rather grasping the principal parts which might be observed.

 

It's true that field guides often include bird topography drawings before the main text. That's useful for reference while reading, as are digital guides.

 

The reason why my students are asked to sketch for themselves is to develop visual thinking. The act of sketching and labelling tends to sharpen awareness of relationships and scale.

 

Therefore a new birder might profitably use a rainy afternoon making a simple bird sketch with appropriate labels in order to more fully appreciate the terminology used in field guide entries.

 

To illustrate this, I made a sketch this afternoon, which will be passed around in three classes about one month later.

 

Birding, or as I practice, basic bird appreciation, is most rewarding when one's understanding facilitates comfortable use of a reputable field guide.

 

Tom K.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Tom Kellie

[mvecht]

Maybe it should also be added that some birds can have considerable variation in plumage so they may not always look exactly as in the reference books.

Locally we get common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) that range from almost black to almost albino looking.

Edited February 7, 2019 by mvecht

[mvecht]

Today I actually came across a bird that I dont think you will find in any reference book.

This is not a hybrid (mix between two species) but rather an uncommon plumage variation.

Actually I also saw this bird last year where it was breeding with a more "normal" looking bird.

Anyone up for identification (sorry, no prices other than a "like")

[TonyQ]

The head looks like a Coot

[mvecht]

@TonyQ    correct. This is a Leucistic Common Coot.

Leucism, is an abnormal plumage condition caused by a genetic mutation that prevents pigment, particularly melanin, from being properly deposited on the bird`s feathers.

The bird is together with a large flock of other coots at the moment. I dont see any evidence of it being harrassed although it does tend to  stay in the outskirts of the group.

[Galana]

It's been in the same snow storm as @TonyQ's Cormorants.

[Lyss]

I am not an avid birder by any means, but I love to photograph birds, and I make it my mission to know what I am photographing so I can identify them later. Shorebirds are probably the only ones I struggle with because they all look the same!

 

My advice would be to start with your local backyard birds. They are the ones you will see and hear most often and are usually more habituated to human activity. Once you can identify your local bird community it becomes easier to learn new birds as you expand and travel. If you have the ability, set up a bird bath and a feeder, your local birds will thank you as they migrate on and once they realize they are safe in your yard you will see birds of all types visiting. 

 

Next, I would invest in at least one bird book. Try to get one that covers the entire country that way if you see a bird that is not normally found in your area you are able to look it up. I would suggest getting some type of camera even if it is a simple point and shoot or a scope of some sort. Just something to allow you to see closer up without disturbing the birds.

 

My personal preference is to keep the app versions of my books on my phone as well as apps that help identify mystery birds if I am unsure of what I am looking at.

I have The Sibley eGuide to the Birds of North America and Sasol eBirds of Southern Africa. They do have free versions, but to get the most out of the apps, I think, it is best to get the paid versions.

For identification purposes, I have Merlin which is an app from Cornell University that helps you identify your bird by inputting the information such as location, size of bird and colors. It will either give you your bird or it will list a variety of birds that fit within the criteria you choose. I also have the Audubon app that comes from the Audubon society. I haven't used it much yet, but the information it gives is amazing. 

 

Depending on where you live also helps. Here in Florida, we have a lot of wastewater treatment facilities which double as riparian systems and can attract anything from terns to ospreys.  Those are really wonderful in building my knowledge base as again they are a bit more used to humans than the bird hanging out in a meadow off the beaten path. I saw my first ever skimmers at a water treatment facility.