Casey,
Your thoughtful remarks are really appreciated. They ring true. Glad
you took the time.
Thank you
Joe Faulkner
On Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 5:47 PM, Casey Tucker <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
>
> So I wasn’t going to weigh in on this issue, but after careful
> consideration I've decided to add my own 2 cents for what little it’s worth.
>
> As someone who began to get more into hardcore birding during the “good
> old days” of the 90’s, I relied heavily on the Ohio Bird Listserv as a tool
> to learn about Ohio’s birds and their occurrences. I read every posting, no
> matter how far the report was from where I lived in southwest Ohio at the
> time.
>
> As a new birder back then, whenever a new rare species was reported I
> took the time to look it up and read what I could about it; how to identify
> it, its distribution, its biology and whatever else I could learn.
>
> I especially looked forward to April 1st because it was a great learning
> opportunity. The unusual and absurd postings were not viewed as a joke on
> me, as a new birder, but a fun and funny opportunity to learn. I not only
> learned about new birds, because I spent the time to look them up rather
> than blindly chasing after them, and I learned critical thinking skills.
>
> Developing critical thinking is an important skill for new birders. As
> we experience new bird species critical thinking helps us realize that the
> bright orange oriole we’re seeing in Ohio for the first time is probably a
> Baltimore as opposed to a Scott’s. It helps us recognize when we’re seeing
> a common species in aberrant plumage rather than a new rare species, and it
> helps us go through the necessary mental exercises when we do potentially
> find a vagrant or rare species for the first time.
>
> As my own birding skills improved I looked forward to eventually
> participating in April’s Fools postings myself. Even that was a learning
> opportunity. I had to look at Ohio’s lists, Peterjohn’s book, and then
> look for a species that had didn’t have a high probability of showing up in
> Ohio, but had the right believability, and familiarize myself with the
> different birding locations in the state to pick the least probable
> location.
>
> I respect those of you who think you’re looking out for new birders, and
> perhaps a warning message like Kathi’s should be sent out as a caveat first
> thing on April first, but I don’t think those who post April Fool’s
> sightings necessarily have any malicious intent or are targeting new
> birders specifically.
>
> A lot of other more serious information outlets have participated in
> April’s Fools, like this article about dragons in the scientific
> publication Nature:
> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v520/n7545/full/520042a.html
>
> Should they not do that because novice readers might take it seriously?
>
> Whether we want to recognize it or not cliques still exist in Ohio’s
> birding community. It’s not just a small group of serious birders
> anymore. Ohio’s Birding Listserv is one way of communicating with the
> birding community as a whole and breaking down the barriers of cliques,
> unlike social media sites that reinforce cliques. I know a lot of people
> who have stepped away from birding in Ohio because of these cliques.
>
> So I would encourage new birders to consider participating in April’s
> Fools postings the next time you have a chance. It can be fun and a great
> way to build your skills as a birder and participate in a larger birding
> community.
>
> Casey Tucker
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______________________________________________________________________
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