Tuesday, March 24, 2009
e-BirdWatching?!
Birdwatching, why do people do it? I'm not sure why people bird watch, I've never really tried it. My guess would have something to do with the fact people enjoy being out in nature, and those outdoors men that happen to enjoy birds, find themselves bird watching. It would be an adventure to keep track of all the different species you have seen, and always be kept on edge wondering what the next rare species will be. I'm not sure if setting a bird feeder in your yard should count as a 100% sighting, because is that not about the same as seeing a bird in a zoo? Either way, the birds are not in their natural environments, and human intervention has occurred. In my opinion virtual bird watching is less impressive than getting out and driving to a zoo. At least at the zoo, you might have to search your eyes through the trees to see a particular species. Not only has human influences put the feeder in the Brazilian forest, but its not even the bird watcher doing it. At least if you see a bird feeding on your yard bird feeder, you are the one that placed it there. In my opinion, online birdwatching would in no way be as impressive, exciting, or rewarding as actually getting away from the computer monitor, walking outside, and looking at a bird with your own two eyes and not through a web cam. People might do it to avoid travel, but travel should be half the fun. After all, birdwatchers should enjoy the outdoors.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
When it comes to birdwatching, I would have to classify watching birds online as not a true birdwatching experience. Bird watching is basically all about getting involved with nature and experience how nature affects birds. When you watch birds online, you have zero interaction with nature and the birds that fill it. Online birdwatching is similar to going to a Zoo to see a bird. At a Zoo, you do not interact with nature or the birds, which is the same thing you do online. So those who classify themselves as true birdwatcher, they would not be watching birds online. They would go out in nature, and experience the birds in their nature habitat on a personal level.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Christine, I don't think that would count to a true birdwatcher. I don't really get the whole idea of birdwatching. BUT, I did find myself relaxed today in class while watching the hummingbirds. My father in law has a book of birds that sits right by his window with a set of binoculars, I mentioned to him he could get online and bird wathed and he just laughed at me. He does not keep a list of all the birds he has seen but he truly enjoys watching them out his window.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you! I believe a lot of what is called "birdwatching" has to do with your surrounding environment. Therefor, if you are sitting at home watching a live feed, as we did in class, then you are basically surfing the net-- not birdwatching... It would be bird watching if one was out in the wilderness....
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of reconnecting with nature (ie. birdwatching) on the internet really got me thinking of the deep ecology versus shallow ecology problem. People seem to bird watch as a way to reconnect with our natural environment (because honestly, do you think the amazonian tribes living in the deep forest get excited over a bird? Yeah, didn't think so). We've been disconnected with our natural surroundings due to advances in technology which keep us indoors, away from it, doing things like surfing the net. Ok, enter shallow ecology. Technology got us into this problem, surely it can get us out! And next thing you know you're watching birds on your computer screen, indoors, instead of just stepping onto your front porch. True, the birds on your front porch aren't likely to be Brazilian hummingbirds, but you get the point. Deep ecology would have us fix the problem of our estrangement from the outdoors, instead of pacifying it with a second-rate technological version.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Penny. "Reconnecting" with nature through the internet is not truly reconnecting. There are days that the only time I got outside is to walk to or from my car. I have to say looking at a picture of a field or watching birds feeding on the internet does not make me feel like I've been in nature. The vital part to reconnecting with nature is actually being outside. I also agree that technology has gotten us into this problem. Most of us spend most of our time inside because there is no need to go out. We don't need to walk places, we can drive, we can just jump on a treadmill to get our work outs in, and in our free time we would rather play a video game or on the internet than go outside.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with most of you. Virtual bird watching, like we did in class, to me is not real bird watching. I think you need to be out in the environment to get the true experience of bird watching. To me the real experience of bird watching is being out in nature. When I saw bird watching over the internet I was shocked. I never thought of virtual bird watching but this just goes to show how technology is becoming more dominant.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the comments about bird watching. For my Animal Behavior class we participated in Cornell's backyard bird count. I never had any interest in birds but by the end of the project I could see how some may find it particularly interesting. I think that bird watching is a great deal about reconnecting with the enviornment but also a way for people to feel as if they are spending their time wisely. A lot of bird watchers do so in order to track or count certain species of birds. Especially in the winter birds struggle to find food and water and this is another reason people put out bird feeders. I think watching birds at bird feeders is a legitmate way of bird watching. Even though a human put it there it is still in the birds natural enviorment- backyard, woods, forest, etc. The birds act no differently than they would about other food sources. Yes the internet seems quite a ridiculous way of bird watching but it is a way to observe animal behavior which is important for research and in considering animal rights.
ReplyDeleteI agree, birdwatching online is pure laziness. It takes away the meaning of enjoying nature, after all nature is outdoors. I fell that to truly enjoy bird watching you have to be outdoors and get the full effect.
ReplyDelete