Competitive Birding

3.5k · February 21, 2004

Competitive birding. I haven't read it yet but somehow this book reminds me a lot of geocaching.

38.2k · February 21, 2004

Birding is a lot like geocaching in some ways. Many birders are just out there for fun, exercise and the hunt. Others are competetive and keep running counts of the number of birds they found and compare with others. There is also the World Series of Birding, which is held in New Jersey every year. Teams come from all over the country and have 24 hours to travel the state and count birds. The team with the most different species found wins. Hey, they even have a stats page.

Edited February 21, 2004 by briansnat

3.5k · February 21, 2004

Seems like it would be a natural progression to link GPS coordinates with bird sightings. Have they went there yet? (added GPS's to their equipment list?)

February 21, 2004

I know of a few studies that have used gps to note nest locations of specific species. Of bird species that is. Has been going on for 4-5 years. Yes back when the units were expensive and not very accurate.

February 21, 2004

Sorta', not really.

Since most birds are seen during migration or certain habitats, there are typical areas birders will go. However, being transient, lat/long coords don't really have a strong application to birding--addresses are easier. Since nesting birds would be disturbed by too much visitation, they are protected by not making the info too available (sound familiar?)

However, today I saw an immature/female hawk and got beautiful pictures scouting a new cache location. Saw an Osprey closer than I have before roosted through the trees not more than 30' away, and watched two golden eagles fishing through the ice on the river below.

The first hawk sat on a wire long enough for me to drive home and get the camera!

Last cache I placed ran me across a barn owl--a new addition for my life list. Of the 200 or so species that may be seen in CT, I've seen more than half.

The difference 'tween birding and caching is the later tends to be more rewarding. A birding trip may or may not be successful depending on whether they are around when you are and you can find them. With caching you can be fairly sure the cache is there!

In both cases, you are trying to find something camouflaged.

Birders use binoculars and cameras. Geocachers use GPS's and cameras.

Birders use field guides. Cachers use logbooks.

Birders scour the web and call friends for recent exotic sitings. Cachers scour the web and call friends for the latest placements.

Some birders spend lots of money on feeders and bird seed. Some cachers spend lots of money on placing caches and trade items.

Birders will go out in the wee hours of the morning, late at night and cold or inclement weather. Cachers due too...

Huh, seems there are more similarities than I realized!

Enjoy,

Randy

3.5k · February 21, 2004

I do have an interest in birding but have only done a bit. I have found that Geocaching and birding can go hand in hand as seen above with this whimbrel I saw while seeking a cache at Ocean Shores, Washington.

For a great book on migration I suggest "Living on the Wind--across the hemishere with migratory birds" By Scott Weidensaul

3.5k · February 21, 2004

Also came across these ptarmigan high in the Cascades while caching.

38.2k · February 21, 2004

One example of how competetive birding can get: I work on an archaelogical dig in in NJ's Great Swamp. A few weeks ago we were working in the lab, where we had a nice view of a nearby pond. We noticed dozens of people hanging out with binoculars.where ordnarily, we'd see 5-6 people walk by all day . The number of people we saw was quite unusual, so I went out and asked what was up.

It turned out that someone had sighted a very rare (in this area) Bohemian Waxwing in the area the day before, so nearly every birdhead in the region was out there trying to get a find. Kind of like going after a FTF in some regions.

Edited February 21, 2004 by briansnat

February 21, 2004

I once had two owls circling me while I was headed toward a cache site. They seemed to be keeping an eye on me while I was in a particular area. Judging by their behavior and the time of year, I concluded that there was a nest nearby. I made a note of the coordinates and forwarded them to the local Raptor Survey coordinator.

Note: The cache was not in that area, I was still about half a mile away.

RichardMoore

February 21, 2004

One thing cachers could take from birders are the life list pins. The American Birding Association sells small pins that mark your 100th, 200th, 300th, etc. species found. Each number is of a different bird. You'll often see birders with the pins attached to their packs, hats, vests, or binoc straps.

3.5k · February 21, 2004

One thing cachers could take from birders are the life list pins. The American Birding Association sells small pins that mark your 100th, 200th, 300th, etc. species found. Each number is of a different bird. You'll often see birders with the pins attached to their packs, hats, vests, or binoc straps.

I think that is a neat idea. Maybe a new item Jeremy could sell in the Groundspeak store.

4.8k · February 22, 2004

I emailed my very serious birding/caching Mom about this thread. Maybe she will chime in.

4k · February 22, 2004

I saw a bird in traffic the other day while caching.....it wasn't a friendly bird, either.....

3.5k · February 22, 2004

I saw a bird in traffic the other day while caching.....it wasn't a friendly bird, either.....

A deserving addition to your lifelist, no doubt.

3.9k · February 22, 2004

Hmmm.... Competitive birding. Sounds about as exciting as.. um... Competitive Birding.

February 22, 2004

I'm a serious birder. Of course, I carry my GPS when I go birding, but haven't really connected coordinates with my life list.

February 22, 2004

Today we had an injured bald eagle end up on our driveway that we share with the neighbors. I had just pulled up to the house from a swim at the local pool with the boys. The neighbors had found the eagle and called animal control. The animal control officer already had it in the back of the truck but she kindly opened the back up so we could get a look. The officer had placed a towel over its head to calm it. The eagle was on its way to a shelter for injured wildlife. We do get eagles around here regularly. I've seen them perched in the tall trees in the woods behind our house.

I enjoy birding but not on any competitive level. I don't know how many species are on my list. I just enjoy watching and learning to identify the different birds. I usually have my binoculars with me while caching.

2.2k · February 22, 2004

maybe i'm just lazy but i can't get myself excited about competitive anything. i like watching birds feathered or otherwise just like i like caching. but i would rather spend the whole day doing one good cache or just lazing around watching whatever happens to pass than to go dashing round. but please don't think i'm being critical because as far as i'm concerned if you enjoy something and it doesn't affect anyone else then carry on and enjoy it! life's too dadgum short for us all to have to be the same.

February 22, 2004

I enjoy bird watching, tho not competitively. The wife and I always take the binocs along whenever we go fishing, just for that purpose. Unlike most caching, this can be enjoyed in the front and back yard.

Enough nicey-nice...I expected more bird jokes here. I see the drowned cat didn't disappoint. I won't make any falcon or hooter jokes, but I saw one in the funny papers the other day. What is Donald Trump without the comb-over? A bald ego! Here is something I've noticed over the years: people with a bird like appearance, and some even have the name to go along with it. Here are a few: Phil Jackson, Larry Bird, Michael Moore, Sen. Robert Byrd, Rachel Drasch, and Calista Flockhart.

4k · February 22, 2004

I saw a bird in traffic the other day while caching.....it wasn't a friendly bird, either.....

A deserving addition to your lifelist, no doubt.

Yeah, I'll confess to that....

Actually, my wife and I are birders, though not competitively so. My dad taught me a lot about birds, since he was a biology teacher, and studied all types of mineral, plant and animal stuff. Sunshine and I sit in the back yard with binoculars and watch the various birds come and go from our feeder. So far, in the past week, we've seen quite a few species come through on their migratory path.....our favorites are the house finches....yesterday I saw a Dark-eyed Junco.....very rare for these parts.....ahh, but I digress.....to relate this to caching, I have seen 2 Bald Eagles in the past few weeks while caching....I've only seen 4 now in these parts, and I've lived here all my life....magnificent birds!!

February 22, 2004

This white hawk picture was taken by my sister, Geopic, last week in Missouri. (No, birders, I am not at liberty to say where. Couldn't if I wanted to.) We believe it to be an albino red-tailed hawk, as it has been seen in the company of a red-tailed hawk, possibly it's mate. But I had to share such rare beauty. Hope the link works. This is my first attempt to post a non-log pic to the forum.

Photo and link removed at request of 2qwerqE

.

Edited February 24, 2004 by CO Admin

February 22, 2004

Nice job on the ID. It's amazing how many bird hotlines get lit up with reports of birds like Goshawks in unusual places. Many turn out to be albino red tails. There are more of them out there than most people realize.

It's hard to tell from the photo if it's a true albino or a leaukistic morph. Could you see the eye color? Was the beak a solid color?

February 23, 2004

Nice job on the ID. It's amazing how many bird hotlines get lit up with reports of birds like Goshawks in unusual places. Many turn out to be albino red tails. There are more of them out there than most people realize.

It's hard to tell from the photo if it's a true albino or a leaukistic morph. Could you see the eye color? Was the beak a solid color?

Well, as Geopic sent me the pic in my email, and I didn't see the bird personally, I can't say for sure. But when I blow the picture up, the feet and beak appear normal in coloration, both yellow. The eyes look black, but it was a very long zoom lens (x800) so it's hard to be sure. Still, no, I'd have to guess it's not a true albino. Still, beauty none the less.

Thanks for your comments. We didn't know white red tails were not unusual. I'll have to do some research, I guess.

3.5k · February 23, 2004

"the author follows each of the three birding fanatics as they travel thousands of miles in search of such hard-to-find species as the crested myna, the pink-footed goose and the fork-tailed flycatcher, spending thousands of dollars and braving rain, sleet, snowstorms, swamps, deserts, mosquitoes and garbage dumps in their attempts to outdo each other."

I think what strikes me isn't the competitive aspect as it relates to Geocaching, but the extent to which they go to get their bird. Therein lays the simularity.

Edited February 23, 2004 by EraSeek

February 23, 2004

I'm pleased to see other birders among the cachers. :smile: The two activities are very compatible. I usually have binocs around my neck when I'm outdoors and this is great camouflage for geocaching. :mad:

I've been seriously birding for 49 years and geocaching for less than two. It's a lot easier to log new caches than it is to add a bird to my life list in the USA. But all the time I can add birds to my state lists, county lists, year list, daily list, trip list etc etc. and I'm the kind of birder who keeps lists but still gets a big kick out finding a large flock of Robins bathing in puddles near a cache in Florida. I'm always birding while I'm caching. If you check my photo galley on my profile site you will find a number of bird photos taken at cache locations.

Some of the organized competitive birding is big time stuff. A few years ago we attended the awards lucheon for the Texas Birding classic when we were in south Texas at the time the event was finishing its run. I'm, not good enough to compete in things like this.

Great Texas Birding Classic

This is a three weekend team competition which awards around $50,000 annually to conservation projects chosen by the winning teams. The members of the winning teams get nice prizes, like top of the line ($1000+) binoculars.

Love that albino hawk. What a beauty!

NevaP, AKA CarleenP's mom, 578 birds in North America north of Mexico, 1100 world wide and counting, getting ready to bird Australia in August.

2.1k · February 23, 2004

They attached GPSrs to racing pigeons and found out that the birds use the roads as a guide to route to their home roost instead of their instincts or sun/moon/magnetic talents. I know this isn't quite the "birding" being discussed, but it involved GPS so I figured I'd mention it.

February 23, 2004

I'm a birder as well and have at times been a competitive birder. I even used to be a twitcher! :smile:

I've found birding and geocaching to be very similar. Both take me to spots that most people have no idea about. Both make me get out in the worst weather when "normal" people would be home. Both have me waiting to hear for a new find so I can get out there and get it. Both have the fun of uncertainty which makes the times you succeed that much better. Both have people who do it for very different reasons. Though in the case of birding there's no monopoly so I can choose to subscribe to competitive or non-competitive newsletters/organizations.

I've tied most of the caches I've placed with birding and birding spots. Even have one called Christmas Bird Count. :mad:

If you want to read a book about how far birders will go checkout Kingbird Highway. An excellent true story about a birder who tried to set the record for most birds in a year. All this without a car and lots of hitchhiking.

In Ocean Shores a few years ago I chased a shorebird that was way out of it's range. Ran into some guys who'd flown from the East Coast to San Francisco for a meeting, heard about the bird and immediately flew up to Seattle to drive 2 1/2 hours to find this thing. And no one considered that too odd. I don't know of any FTF's that have gone to that extreme. Yet.

I've thought about using coordinates to report bird finds but we still use letterboxing methods to take people to spots. Makes more sense, for now.

24.7k · February 23, 2004

They have stats! Ha! I love it!

4.8k · February 23, 2004

They have stats! Ha! I love it!

They have TONS of stats. Plus I think my mother self imposes some more on herself (like different number of birds in the backyard, etc). But then I think most birders do that. Lists for everything.

Hmmm.... I wonder if Mom has a Red Tail Hawk on her yard list, because I do now..... :smile:

February 23, 2004

Your are my hero - the highest point in the South Carolina lowcountry is 27 Ft. AMSL.

:smile:

2k · February 23, 2004

Hmmm.... Competitive birding. Sounds about as exciting as.. um... Competitive Birding.

This coming from somebody who hunts for worthless trinkets in tupperware containers. using expensive electronics. :smile: :mad: :mad:

3.5k · February 24, 2004

I'm always birding while I'm caching. If you check my photo galley on my profile site you will find a number of bird photos taken at cache locations.

NevaP, AKA CarleenP's mom, 578 birds in North America north of Mexico, 1100 world wide and counting, getting ready to bird Australia in August.

And some very nice photos too! I think I have the very same number of Geocache finds as you do Birds in North America. 578.

3.5k · February 24, 2004

Your are my hero - the highest point in the South Carolina lowcountry is 27 Ft. AMSL.

Thanks Rubberhead. If you are ever in Washington I'll take you for a liitle hike.

February 24, 2004

There is an extension of bird watching know as atlasing. We got into Geocaching from doing atlasing as they are both very similar as in both you go to an area and do a search.

In atlasing the observers mark the location of their search area with a GPSr then count the number and species of birds as well as describing the terrain. All data is collated and reviewed and submitted to a national database that looks a lot like a cache distribution map. But details bird species, numbers and locations rather then caches.

All the data collected over the last five years went into the publishing of the New Australian Atlas of Birds Australia. The book is used government and conservation groups to determine the status of the bird population in Australia and determine which species are becoming threatened or recovering.

February 24, 2004

A few years ago I added "birding by ear" to my traditional birding. I found it more challenging at times, and loads of fun when hiking to caches. Maybe hardcore birders are already using birding by ear? I just enjoy the "twist" is gives to traditional birding. You gotta love hearing those Thrushes...even though they can be really tough to see at times!

Additionally, you can really impress your non-birding friends when you tell them what the heck is making that really oddball call!

Salvelinus

4k · February 24, 2004

A few years ago I added "birding by ear" to my traditional birding. I found it more challenging at times, and loads of fun when hiking to caches. Maybe hardcore birders are already using birding by ear? I just enjoy the "twist" is gives to traditional birding. You gotta love hearing those Thrushes...even though they can be really tough to see at times!

Additionally, you can really impress your non-birding friends when you tell them what the heck is making that really oddball call!

Salvelinus

I agree...my dad could identify any bird by it's call....I'm getting better at it, but not nearly as good as my dad was. I love the sound of mourning doves on cool summer mornings.....but, I hate the sound of a whippoorwhill at 3 in the morning when I'm camping in the timber on my farm out east......those little buggers are sure ugly, and really have a knack for perching right above my tent to keep me up all night!

1.8k · February 24, 2004

.....but, I hate the sound of a whippoorwhill at 3 in the morning when I'm camping in the timber on my farm out east......those little buggers are sure ugly, and really have a knack for perching right above my tent to keep me up all night!

... just nail a picture of your avatar to a tree and you won't hear a thing.

February 24, 2004

A few years ago I added "birding by ear" to my traditional birding. I found it more challenging at times, and loads of fun when hiking to caches. Maybe hardcore birders are already using birding by ear? I just enjoy the "twist" is gives to traditional birding. You gotta love hearing those Thrushes...even though they can be really tough to see at times!

Additionally, you can really impress your non-birding friends when you tell them what the heck is making that really oddball call!

Salvelinus

Birding by ear is so much more efficient than birding by sight.

On a spring morning you can close your eyes and "see" every bird within a 250 yard radius. It's a wonderful way to see unusual birds will passing up "trash" birds.

2k · February 24, 2004

I don't go 'birding' while caching the birds seem to go 'carring' and always seem to leave their marks on my vehicle.

3.5k · February 25, 2004

There is an extension of bird watching know as atlasing. We got into Geocaching from doing atlasing as they are both very similar as in both you go to an area and do a search.
In atlasing the observers mark the location of their search area with a GPSr then count the number and species of birds as well as describing the terrain. All data is collated and reviewed and submitted to a national database that looks a lot like a cache distribution map. But details bird species, numbers and locations rather then caches.

All the data collected over the last five years went into the publishing of the New Australian Atlas of Birds Australia. The book is used government and conservation groups to determine the status of the bird population in Australia and determine which species are becoming threatened or recovering.

"The Atlas of Australian Birds

For four years between 1998 amd 2002, Birds Australia co-ordinated the largest continent-wide survey of birds in the world. Over 7,000 atlassers, equipped with binoculars, field guides, GPS units and notebooks, produced 270,000 bird lists and nearly five million bird records."

Wow! Great idea. I knew someone had to be doing something like this somewhere.

February 25, 2004

I hate the sound of a whippoorwhill at 3 in the morning when I'm camping in the timber on my farm out east......those little buggers are sure ugly, and really have a knack for perching right above my tent to keep me up all night!

Yeah, I have a one visiting the pines behind my house all summer long. Thank god I sleep on the other side of the house. But I do love hearing them.

After a long day of caching, hiking and wanting to relax in your tent. Those SOB's can be annoying. The least they could do is change their pitch once in awhile. I found that yelling loudly shuts them up long enough to fall asleep..

Salvelinus

February 25, 2004

A few years ago I added "birding by ear" to my traditional birding. I found it more challenging at times, and loads of fun when hiking to caches. Maybe hardcore birders are already using birding by ear? I just enjoy the "twist" is gives to traditional birding. You gotta love hearing those Thrushes...even though they can be really tough to see at times!

Additionally, you can really impress your non-birding friends when you tell them what the heck is making that really oddball call!

Salvelinus

Oh yes, birders have been doing this. forever, I think. Some of them are disgustingly good at it. There has been great debate about adding a bird identified by song only to your life list. A few years ago, amid much controversy, the ABA (American Birding Association) ruled that song only could be used for all list counts submitted to the listing reports they publish annually.

Most of us use song to locate a bird we want to have a look at. We just tick off a lot of common stuff by the song - if we know the songs. Personally I feel listing by identified song or call is perfectly acceptable in the case of endangered or threatened species on nesting grounds which would be distrurbed by execessive attempts to see the bird and for any difficult to see birds such as Owls and other nocturnal species or very secretive species in difficult habitats -Mangrove Cuckoo comes to mind. That's one I have on my life list by vocalization (Can't really call it a song).

I doubt however that anyone has ever disturbed a nesting Mangrove cuckoo by trying to place a cache in its territory.

NevaP

February 25, 2004

For those with a further interest in studying birds and recording your observations go to this website Cornell Lab of Ornithology Click through to "All About Birds" and "Report Your Observations." There are some fun projects to participate in. It could add a new dimension to your caching experience.

Competitive Birding

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