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<o:p></o:p></sp --_000_DM3PR18MB0795C8BC3AB7E43540EAFE09B7940DM3PR18MB0795namp_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1256" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi All, I've been bird watching around my home since the late 90's and have a g= ood knowledge of how to ID birds, but have almost never sent in a rare bird= submission without an accompanying photo. I bought camcorder many years ago and think it can be just as good a = tool as binoculars for identifying birds as well other species. A knowledge= of field marks, flight times, range and habitat is important but a good q= uality photo or video (particularly with audio) is better for ID purposes. There are a few tricks that make using a camera a better tool for ID'i= ng birds none more important than positioning yourself so that the sun is b= ehind you. I find a HD camcorder with a high power optical zoom and image s= tabilization plus an ability to view and edit the video frame by frame is b= est. On a related note a camera has replaced collecting for many, like me, = who watch and report on Lepidoptera. In this case I've found - being the co= ntrarian that I am - collecting to be a much better means of identification= for moths and butterflies. There is nothing wrong with being old school as a bird watcher but I= think we have to accept that most people aren't interested in learning the= finer points of bird identification; they just want to know what they saw.= That's why sites like iNaturalist have become so popular. All the best. Fritz McEvoy Sunrise valley, CB ________________________________ From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> on beha= lf of Laviolette, Lance <lance.laviolette@lmco.com> Sent: May 22, 2018 2:35 PM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Acadian Flycatcher on Brier Island Hi, Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), photographi= c equipment has become so advanced and taking photographs so inexpensive th= at =91shoot first, identify after=92 is a technique that is gaining favor. = I know a number of birders who have hung up their binoculars and now carry = only a camera with long lens. Their gear allows them to shoot many photos a= second so they point, shoot and look through the photos on their camera=92= s view screen to identify what they photographed. The obvious plus is that they always have photographic evidence of a sighti= ng. The negative is that I=92m seeing more people starting out their birdin= g =91career=92 by taking photographs without learning the basics of bird id= entification. They repeatedly submit photographs of the same common bird to= Facebook pages or web sites asking others to identify it for them. Cheers, Lance Lance Laviolette Glen Robertson, Ontario From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] = On Behalf Of Eric Mills Sent: Monday, May 21, 2018 5:35 PM To: nancy dowd <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Subject: EXTERNAL: Re: [NatureNS] Acadian Flycatcher on Brier Island Hi Nancy, One-observer rarity reports bedevil rarities committees. =FDAs a compiler a= nd monographer of Brier Island birds, my principle is to accept well docume= nted single-observer reports by reputable observers. What to do about my ow= n reports? I rely on my co- author Lance Laviolette to keep my toes to the = fire. As for eBird, its arbiters will speak for themselves when I submit the repo= rt. I'm sure they would like a photo, but rather than grab my camera my ins= tinct is to study a bird rather than shoot first. Many new birders shoot fi= rst and then study the photo rather than the bird. I deprecate this. Field = skills are hard-won. All the best, Eric Eric L. Mills Lower Rose Bay Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia Canada (on Brier Island) From: nancy dowd Sent: Monday, May 21, 2018 14:49 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Reply To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Acadian Flycatcher on Brier Island That is quite a sighting! Hope it sticks around for you or others to get a = photo and/or recording. Is a detailed description, like yours, enough for i= t to be confirmed or does this species require more? Nancy Sent from my iPad On May 21, 2018, at 11:57 AM, Eric Mills <E.Mills@Dal.Ca<mailto:E.Mills@Dal= .Ca>> wrote: A convincing Acadian Flycatcher was along the roadside of Gull Rock Road ab= out 10am. I glimpsed it from the rear first, saw striking greenish colour f= rom head down the back, and thought I had a Yellow-bellied. Then it turned = and I could see whitish throat and light malar, white extending down mid- b= reast to the belly and very pale yellowish breast sides and flanks. It was = a big bird, with long tail and wing extension. The bill, which was substant= ial, had a conspicuous yellowish- orange lower mandible. At this point, before I could even raise my camera, a car, the first I had = seen all morning, came banging down the road and the bird took off. I could= not find it again, but I did locate a Least Flycatcher, which was useful f= or comparison. Eric L. Mills Lower Rose Bay Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia Canada (on Brier Island) --_000_DM3PR18MB0795C8BC3AB7E43540EAFE09B7940DM3PR18MB0795namp_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="windows-1256" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dwindows-1= 256"> <style type=3D"text/css" style=3D"display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bo= ttom:0;} </style> </head> <body dir=3D"ltr"> <div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;= color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Hi All,</div> <div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;= color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I've been bird watching around my home since the late 90= 's and have a good knowledge of how to ID birds, but have almost = never sent in a rare bird submission without an accompanying photo.&nb= sp;</div> <div style=3D"font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;= color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I bought camcorder many