Sometimes, the task could be so daunting when presented with huge numbers that one could easy abandon ship. Take this flock of shorebirds for example, it is not large but you get the picture.
Crazy one might say but when you find one of those flagged birds, the feeling of success trumps everything and just like that the thirst is gone, the hours of standing and scanning birds is forgotten and the goal of getting the all important documentation just becomes the focus. I think of it as contributing to the science of Ornithology in helping banders/ringers and anyone researching the movement of a given bird. Try it, you might like it but I warn you it could become an obsession...I should know.
Tags:
Shorebirds, 
Ornithology, 
Science
Fascinating take on looking through thousands of birds, I've never really searched birds for rings (well apart from the odd dead one) but it is people like you reporting them that advance the knowledge of ornithology as much as the banders (ringers in the UK) :)
ReplyDeleteGreat title for this post! I imagine it can be kind of like finding a needle in a haystack...and very satisfying when you finally do. In a group of shorebirds, how many do you usually find have been banded? Are you able to see the information on the band? If so, do you notify the bander? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ashley, I enjoy searching through flocks of birds looking for flags or rings. It is gratifying knowing that the data will help researchers.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Metis Birding. That is exactly what it is. Check back for my upcoming post on searching for Spoonbill Sandpiper in China, which was definitely searching for needleS in haystackS
ReplyDelete