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"No ticking" Ken Newman said. "You've come a long way to see this bird, so enjoy the experience".

I recently read an article in a magazine on birding a realised there are three types of birders.

There are people who go to extraordinary lengths to complete their life list, but for the competition with others about who has the longest list or the most "special" ticks.

Then there are those who chase birds. They are the people who willingly travel thousands of kilometers to see a particular bird, who climb over rocks, scramble through brambles and endure a lot of discomfort to see a specific species, and when they find it, give it no more than a quick glance before saying: "ok, what’s next?"

And lastly the watchers that amble through the countryside, linger on many birds, watch their habits and occasionally get exited about a new lifer.

Look it’s not wrong to be any one of the three, its what you get out of it that’s important.

I must have been a watcher, seeing less than 500 species in 20 years. Lately I have caught myself becoming more of a combined chaser and lister, which is very exiting in a sense. Well I decided I am back to being a watcher, I am rather going for my enjoyment than excitement.

Which kind of birder are you?

Nice one, Imax. Also check Trevor Hardaker's definitions of twitchers etcetera. For myself I mostly enjoy watching birds in as many different habitats and regions as I can, because it's fascinating and it lets me discover beautiful places in SA and the world. Unfortunately I also get a huge kick out of compiling lists, which has turned me into a mild twitcher and a lister that writes down every Laughing Dove around.

I think I would be classified as a "watcher" mainly. Nothing better than relishing in the pure unadulterated pleasure of just watching any of our feathered friends in, especially the Kruger, whilst sipping on a cold lager and anticipating the next great sighting. I do, however, excitedly tick off any new discoveries - that's if I can get to my Roberts in time! Oh - to be in the bush - 2 weeks in May and can't come soon enough!!!

Hi Guys

I'll definitely list myself as a watcher. I am always on the lookout for birds. Most of the time I don't have any guides with me so I'll try and remember the bird in my mind, go back home and then ID it (sort off) I will then read more about the bird and then get to know it better. I have made a list in 2004 of all the birds that I have seen and updated in December 2008, but since following this forum and doing the bird challenge I am starting to become a watcher that likes to tick.

Have a nice day.
Wilhelm

I will classify myself as a watcher even though in 2008 I only had time to“watch” birds for a total of maybe 12 days. I enjoy visiting two or three favourite spots in my area even though I know I will not add any new birds to my list. Maybe that’s the reason my list stood on 519 for more than a year?

I will when on holiday plan a couple of trips trying to add specific birds but like in December out of the 3 full day trips in the end I did only one trip.

I don’t spend to much energy chasing rare birds in my area, but with the recent Macaroni Penguin I took a couple of hours to decide that it might be the only time I’ll ever be able to see one so took the plunge. With an Eurasian Oystercather at Yzerfontein last year, I decided that they are seen more “regularly” so I’ll give it miss.

I do keep a life list and also have a Western Cape list (which I have not updated in a long time).

That's me to a T. I rarely if ever go birding but I can tell all about the Red Bishop's breeding habits. What a sparrow's alarm call sounds like. When it's going to rain by watching the swifts. I love learning their habits but won't say no to the occasional Big Tick.

Nice topic Imax.

As I only started birding in December I see myself as a ticker atm.

I don't have the knowledge or resources to chase special sightings because to me every tick I get is a special sighting as it is the first time I actually see the bird or recognize it. I suppose in years to come I will most probably move over to become a watcher as I find that very relaxing as well.

Watcher - no good at lists however my favorite roberts has a tick next to the birds I have seen.

To me they are part and parcel of the whole bush experiance, important and integral to my and therefore (wether they like it or not) my guests whole experiance.

I would describe me as a watcher. I only list new sightings in my Newmans and enjoy to watch the birds in the places where I am now.

I'm a Watcher-cum-Twitcher!

Birding is a fairly new hobby for me, as I only started in 2003. I'm a Watcher most of the time, as I love how birding has left me wanting to get out and see new places and it has led to many new friendships.

But I can't deny the Twitcher in me! I love the thrill of getting out there for the tick, and will quite readily drop everything to get out to a special sighting once I hear of it. And at 525 I can't deny that I set myself targets to meet for my lifelist!!!

To me twitching (in its narrow sense), has never made any sense (sorry). After all, just because you made the mark, does not mean that you know the bird or even necessarily that you will be able to id the bird again.

Because I am not a twitcher I will probably never become a chaser. That is in my opinion a twitcher gone extreme.

What am I?

Must agree with most here, probably a watcher.

To quote Jeanus:

Quote:

To me they are part and parcel of the whole bush experience ...

That is how I enjoy birds, not as a separate but as integral part of the whole. Along with mammals, insects, flowers, trees, rocks ... (and call me mad, but I do not keep lists on these either! )

I think all of you would understand and agree ...

I am a "Watcher" I love to see them but will never "tick" a bird unless I'm about 80% sure I will be able to ID it myself next time I see it. A quick glimpse in among the trees that an expert tells me what it is but I just saw flapping wing will never be ticked by me. To me that defeats the object of birding. If I did'nt see it clearly enough to recognise it myself next time I see it implies I did not see it properly. Thats just me. I enjoy, I learn, BUT I don't compete

I find myself, as I'm certain many do, moving between different definitions - and then finding a lot of birding outside them. With atlassing now taking up a lot of my birding time I am listing - but he same birds again and again. I'm also watching as atlassing requires careful watching of everything you see - and it's amazing what you see by standing still, being quiet and just observing. In the middle of the Cape sparrows is one Grey-headed sparrow; in between all the Hartlaub's are a couple of Grey-Headed Gulls - and why is the spoonbill grooming the Ibis?

As birds have infinte variety, so do birders...

I've been a bird watcher for many years, until I got involved in the Bird forum. Looking and reading about all the amazing bird sightings you guys have, I often wondered: "have I seen this bird?".... can't remember . That's when I started my list. I do like to appreciate the moment when I spot a bird I've never seen before and watching something knowing it's a rare sighting. Keeping a list has also got me working harder on my ID skills, before I'd just let it "fly" if I was not sure of it off hand.
Am I a compulsive twitcher? Nah.... not yet. I'm not haunted by "the list" but my birding has stepped up to a new level.

I am a "bird watchers" watcher.

I am a dyslexic, (spatially challenged in every sense of the word) and it takes longer for me to integrate knowledge about the shapes. But I find birders enthusiasm catching. I also love to sit and listen and just observe.

I think that I am lazy about remembering names, but then suddenly I will realise that I have absorbed a whole lot of knowledge without even trying.

In my spare time I will spend many hours reading up on birds and ecology in general. It is always important for me to get a big picture before I can focus in on detail.