21 replies to this topic

[Lutya]

Taken today near Albany, NY. All but the Veery will be lifers!

1. Black & White Warbler



2. Blue-winged Warbler



3. Wood Thrush



4. Veery

[Liam]

All look perfect! Great migrants, congrats on the lifers!

[Lutya]

Thank you! I was searching for a Cerulean that is known to be in the area but will have to try again. It's been a great weekend!

[EyesOnTheSky]

Nice birds but wouldn't you feel better if you'd confirmed them yourself?

[Lutya]

Well, I did identify them myself but since I'm still fairly new, I like to get my IDs confirmed unless I am 100% sure. That's how I learn!

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Great pictures! I'm jealous

[meghann]

I'm jealous of that blue winged, and I like to get confirmation with my lifers, too.

[EyesOnTheSky]

I came across as snobby. Sorry. I confirm a new lifer by myself only when I'm 1000% sure I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing. Sometimes it takes a several views over a couple months before I'm sure. I know with 99% certainty that I've seen a Tennessee Warbler but I need one more view before I'll confirm it and put it on the life list.

[Platypus]

Confirming a lifer by yourself is a paradox...

[BarnSwallow]

I've confirmed almost every lifer I've seen by myself. I almost always go birding alone, and only recently got a decent enough camera to take pictures. The vast majority of the birding I've done was done before digital camersa anyway, and many, many of the lifers I've seen were unphotographable. It would be kind of silly to have a life list of 10 or 12 after 40 years of birding, only because I had no one to confirm the rest! Many of the lifers I've seen I identified without even looking at my field guide. I study my field guides all the time, or just skim through them when I have some spare time. That way, when I see something, I usually know what it is without having to look it up.

[Platypus]

Haha sorry for the confusion. BarnSwallow - I wasn't saying that not getting confirmation of your lifers is a horrible thing (though we do see time and time again that very experienced birders make wrong IDs in the field... it's the nature of the beast). I was just commenting on the phrase "confirming a lifer by yourself". Confirming, in this sense, means giving approval to an already formulated opinion. One person can't do both of those jobs.

[BarnSwallow]

Oh, I see! I know what you mean about getting wrong IDs. If I'm unsure about an ID in the field - which probably happens more often than not - I don't list the bird. My life list would have about 50 more birds on it (well, maybe not THAT many) if I listed birds that I wasn't 100% on. I'm slow getting warblers - I've seen a ton, but they're usually high up and hiding in the leaves - I only have a couple of flycatchers and peeps because they're so difficult!

[Lutya]

I only started a year ago but since I am terrible at visual and auditory memory (as I'm finding!), I am only counting birds on my life list that I have photographed and are obvious or confirmed on here.

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I only started a year ago but since I am terrible at visual and auditory memory (as I'm finding!), I am only counting birds on my life list that I have photographed and are obvious or confirmed on here.

Keep sending in your pictures! They are always great practice for me when I'm too busy to get outside (graduate school does that...)

[BarnSwallow]

Yeah, I've really sharpened up my ID skills on several problematic birds by reading this forum! I have a bit of a photographic memory, so looking through my books kind of implants the pictures and descriptions in my mind, and I can retrieve them pretty quickly. The trouble is, I just skim over the pages of really tough birds like the peeps and empids. I really should spend more time on them!

[EyesOnTheSky]

What I don't understand is how you can have a pic and still not be able to ID the bird. Especially for something as distinctive as a B&W Warbler. Take the time and do the ID yourself by comparing it to birds in your Sibley, Peterson or Crossley.

[Lutya]

If it bothers you, sorry but no one is making you read or reply. I like getting confirmation, as do many others, so how about be like Thumper (if you don't have something nice to say...)?

[EyesOnTheSky]

If it bothers you, sorry but no one is making you read or reply. I like getting confirmation, as do many others, so how about be like Thumper (if you don't have something nice to say...)?

Hey, if you can feel good about a life list with birds that others ID'd for you, then more power to ya. It is your list afterall. I couldn't but I'm just one person.

[sailormom64]

I love that people post pictures and get confirmations, as well as what helped to make the id...because it really helps me, as I am brand new at all of this. so please keep posting!

[dancingbear860]

I only started a year ago but since I am terrible at visual and auditory memory (as I'm finding!), I am only counting birds on my life list that I have photographed and are obvious or confirmed on here.

I do the same, and seeing as how photography is my primary excuse to go birding, I like think I have ideas, look at guides and get thoughts from others. Once I have the picture to look it up, makes it easier, so Im with you on the photo then confirm! Still to unsure about myself. and when im wrong and corrected by the wonderfully helpful people here, I seem to learn more about both birds!!