Monday, October 1, 2012

Nice Is Better Than Mean

With the advancements in digital photography, the surge in interest in birding, and the proliferation of birding groups on Facebook during the last few years, more and more brand new birders are posting photos of birds and asking people to help identify them.  While most people are incredibly kind and helpful (as most birders are!),  I've been very sad to see some fairly caustic comments from some experts who get irritated when the newbies don't appear to be trying to figure the bird out on their own before seeking instant gratification.  I've even seen some particularly cutting remarks that will no doubt lead to the new birder rethinking their decision to give this whole birding thing a try.  

I wonder, have these experts forgotten what it was like when they were brand new to birding? That overpowering urge to spend every waking moment looking at birds.  That desire to learn more and more and know all the birds in your area. And the overwhelming number of birds that were out there and the feeling that, if you lived to be 100, you'd never figure them all out.  

Now, what if your field guide had been able to talk to you when you were a beginner? Can you tell me that you would not have asked it to tell you what bird you had just seen? I will never be so far along in birding that I forget the overpowering, heart pounding, doors-to-a-new-world-flung-wide-open joy that discovering birds brought to every day of my life. I will never forget how I felt when I saw my first Brown Thrasher, my first Fox Sparrow, my first Eastern Phoebe.
I am 100% certain that Jimi Hendrix was a birder and that
he wrote "Foxy Lady" about Fox Sparrows! 
If Facebook, with all of its birding groups and friendly, accessible experts, had been around when I was a starry-eyed beginner, I have no doubt that I would have rushed to ask the people I'd connected with there -- people filled with magical powers who could tell me what this new bird was -- for their help. Have we become so stodgy and impossible that we would consider it bad form for beginners to post a photo and ask for help with the ID? I'm not suggesting that this is the best way to learn bird ID, not at all. I still think that the best way to learn is for folks to spend time outside with birds, a good binocular, and a field guide. But wouldn't it be much better for everyone involved -- including the birds -- if we simply coached them through the process of identification, or, suggested in a helpful and gentle way, that they spend at least a few days puzzling over the discovery and looking through a field guide, and then, if they were still stuck, encourage them to come back to work through the bird with us?


This tiny Saw-whet Owl reminds you that nice is better than mean! 
In other words: isn't nice better than mean? Never lose sight of those precious moments when you first discovered birds and birding. And never lose sight of the fact that you could be the deciding factor in whether or not that joy is a lasting experience.

Thanks for reading.  And remember, BIRDS RULE!  


~kimmer

36 comments:

  1. Very eloquently put! Although I haven't had this experience with birders (although butterfliers are more like that), that attitude often is used to keep newcomers out of a field: in programming, it's called the "priesthood" phenomenon.

    Sometimes the mentoring you mention happens, but usually is extended just to young men. In my particular part of the country, naturalist activities aren't really open to the public, just to faculty members, their (male) friends and a few proteges.

    In the end, there is no substitute for generosity and recognition of an individual's ability and willingness to learn rather than engaging in simple competitiveness. But cultural values determine whether it happens, and in some places the most admired people got there by hurting others.

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    1. Thanks so much for your wonderful and thought provoking comment, Dorothy. I think we are beginning to break down the barriers for women naturalists and I hope that you start to see that in your area, too.

      I know it is overly simplistic to say that being nice is better than being mean. But I wish more people would at least give it some consideration to the human being who is behind the computer on the other end of a discussion.

      Thanks again for reading my post and for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it!

      kim

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  2. Oh well said - Birding is a complete joy and welcome to all who develop an interest! I'm still a novice even though I've watched birds all my life... Just enjoy, everyone out there. It's all such a gift!

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    1. It is indeed, Barbara! Thanks so much for reading my post and taking time to leave a comment.

      Have a great day and keep enjoying those birds!

      kim

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  3. Nice post. I have to say I have had nothing but positive reinforcement from those more knowledgeable than myself helping point out what I should be looking at. I agree though it would be easy to scare a beginner away if too gruff.

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    1. I'm so glad your experiences have been positive, Dan. For the most part, I think that's the case, but a few troubling exchanges got me sort of riled up and I felt compelled to comment.

      Thanks so much!

      kim

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  4. Excellent tips Kimberly, both for "experts" and for the welcomed-new birders. I love the idea of suggesting to new birders that rather than instantly posting pictures saying "ID this bird for me!", we could kindly invite them to study it out for themselves a bit and perhaps come back with an email or FB post saying "I think the bird in my photo is a ------bird because it shows such-and-such field marks as shown in my Kaufman Field Guide. But it also might be bird#2 because it has these characteristics. Can you experts help me figure this out?"

    The challenge also comes into play with the sometimes ambiguous tone of digital communication. I know one excellent birder who is the most wonderful mentoring type of person in person, but those who do not know this birder in real life often misinterpret the tone of this birder's emails when correcting or suggesting bird identification. We'd all do well to be a little nicer, especially to the new birder. We all need to come to grips with the fact that many birders have "Owl" personality types in which there is no emotion attached to their identification assistance, so not to take any "seeming" critism personally.

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    1. Thanks, Robert. I think we sometimes forget that there are human beings with lives and troubles and feelings on the other end of the electrons.

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  5. I appreciate your kindness as I am a novice birder. Most of the time I can research a bird and identify it...but I also need help at other times. :))

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    1. Thank you, EG! I know that for most experienced birders it is an honor to help beginners learn how to identify birds. I hope this is always your experience as you enjoy your new interest in birds and birding. What an exciting time it is when you're just getting started and the world of possibilities is ahead of you!

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  6. Precioso el Gorrion rascador.Saludos

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  7. Very good post, Kim. NIce is always better if one wants to help beginning birders, as well as remembering what it was like to be a beginning birder oneself! In this new digital age, we often find beginning birders are as likely to have a camera as binoculars. Their photos are often the first way they connect to birds. We frequently are sent photos of birds to ID and we answer each. We also teach beginners about photography, as well as bird ID.
    Another good tip for birders sending photos for ID help, is to include the date the photo was taken, the geographic location, and include any behavior of the bird.
    Thanks for the kindness of everyone who helps birders with ID!
    Lillian and Don Stokes

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    1. Thank you so much, Lillian and Don! The two of you have been true paragons of encouraging new birders. Thank you for being a role model for me - and millions of others. I am always so humbled when you comment on something I've written. It makes me feel very blessed to have been given a voice to speak for birds and birders, and I intend to keep my voice happy and encouraging.

      hugs to you and Don,

      kimmer

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  8. Kim, thank you for this much-needed post. I'm one of those who had my enthusiasm squashed (temporarily, thank goodness) by someone who responded to my request for help with a sparrow ID with a rant about how disappointing it was that nobody tries to figure out their own IDs anymore. If that rude person had bothered to ask me, he would have found out that I had indeed spent an entire afternoon with six different field guides, enlarging the sparrow photos on my computer and trying my hardest to work it out first. That was several months ago, but I'll never forget the impact those harsh comments had on me, and whenever I encounter birders who are less experienced than me I go out of my way to give them as much help as I can.

    I also want to thank you for being such a fantastic role model for how to treat other human beings in general. ;-)

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    1. Thank you for reading my post and for your open and honest comments on this subject - and for your very kind and generous comments about me. I am deeply sorry that you experienced this kind of attitude and so happy that yo didn't let it turn you away from the joys of birding. For every one "less than welcoming" person out there, there are thousands who are kind and encouraging. I hope that from here on out you will be surrounded by the latter!

      all the best of birding to you,

      kimmer

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  9. Wonderful post Kim. When I was a new little baby birder I made so many ID mistakes, and I still struggle with shorebirds. Most birders have been very helpful, but there have been some who are critical and hurt my feelings a little. It is so important to encourage people to become involved. Thanks for reminding us how important it is to be kind.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. I'm sorry you encountered a few negative nasties when you were getting started - the birding community is so fortunate that it didn't turn you away! And, as I told the very nice person above, we're very lucky that the majority of birders are very kind and considerate.

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    2. Kim, sorry I forgot that when I post with my Wordpress account, it only shows my blog name, and not my real name. Just so you know, this is Kim Smith. And thanks for calling me a "very nice person"! ;-)

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    3. Oh, Hi KIM! :-) I'm sorry I didn't recognize you from your screen name.

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  10. Really nicely worded, Kim. I hope it makes the social media rounds - there's lots to learn here for both "experts" and beginners. The main thing is, never give up learning! I'd be incredibly sad to know everything there is to know about birds - it's part of the journey, learning new things. I too, have seen some incredibly rude posts on listserves, it's amazing what people say to others.

    I'm incredibly fortunate to have several experts who don't mind me bothering them on a regular basis - from birds to dragonflies. Hopefully your post will give new birders hope and help them establish their own networks of "go-to" people. Thanks for sharing it!

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  11. A very thoughtful and well articulated post, but I expect nothing less from you. Indeed nice is better than mean. As birders I see us as ambassadors of something we love and cherish and I am always striving to put forth the best impression possible. Being nice should be a way of life!

    And by the way, "Foxy Lady" was definitely about Fox Sparrows - Jimi Hendrix was too cool to not be a birder :)

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    1. Oh, that is so true, "Dude!" We should all consider ourselves ambassadors of birding. If we did, I truly believe that we'd encourage more new birders. I also agree that being nice should be a way of life!

      Thanks so much for your wonderful comments. I really appreciate it. Oh, and I think we're on to something about Jimi! ;-)

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  12. Kimberly, very nicely said! I have been "truly" birding about 3 years, so I consider myself to be pretty new at it! Before getting into birding, I never even knew about Warblers! Talk about a nice surprise! However, I still have a lot of trouble trying to ID them, especially in the fall. One thing I find helpful is to put my pics on Flickr and then add them to a " bird ID help" group. These people know their stuff. I always try to find the ID on my own first, through books or apps. Sometimes, I can get it, but if not these groups are helpful! I have been lucky to get into my local birding group, & attending field trips has been extremely helpful! Everyone is very nice & seems to enjoy helping new birders!

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    1. Thanks, Karen! The early days of birding are the best you'll ever have. The world of possibilities is always just outside your door and every trip out in the field can yield a new and exciting bird discovery! I'm so happy that you discovered birds and birding and I hope that it continues to be something truly positive in your life.

      Thanks for reading, for leaving such nice comments, and for sharing your thoughts on the Flickr group, too!

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  13. Great stuff Kim,

    One resource I've found to be helpful is the Flickr Bird Identification Group which, if you have a Flickr account, people will happily help you ID the bird you're struggling with. I used the group to confirm a shorebird I photographed. Here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/groups/bird_id_group/
    Dwayne

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    1. Thanks, Dwayne! That Flickr group is indeed a great resource for beginners. Thank you for sharing the link and for reading my post and taking the time to write a comment! I really appreciate it!

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  14. Thanks Kim for this great post!

    I hear ya! Gurrrr I get my dander up with some of these so called helpers!

    We are all so different and we all learn differently. There will always be some that just like looking at the birds and would like to know what they are the easy way...by asking. Is that wrong?

    At least they are watching birds. Who are we to judge and think they need to learn what they are, what they eat, where they are located etc. Maybe they will, maybe they wont.

    Let them enjoy these birds and gently Id and give them added information that might peek more interest.

    We don't all have to "know" the birds to enjoy them.

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    1. Thank you so much, Dawn. Your comments mean a lot to me, especially coming from someone like you - a person who's kind and welcoming to everyone. You definitely prove that nice is better than mean!

      hugs,

      kimmer

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    1. What a nice thing to say! Kenn is a sweetie and he's always very kind and generous in his assessment of me. Thanks for reading my post and leaving your very kind comment.

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  16. Wonderful post, so beautifully expressed! In the past, I was very hesitant to ask for identification assistance because of the negative tone I felt from some experts. That said, the majority of people I have communicated with have been especially kind and generous and eager to help. Your reminder to be civil to everyone is important in all areas of life.

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    1. Thank you so much, Julie! I most certainly agree that the majority of experts are very kind and willing to help. But it only takes a few sour pusses to spoil the joy of birding for people, so I felt compelled to write this post and gently remind people that they have the power to make or break someone's birding future.

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  17. What a wonderful post! Yes, a little kindness would go a long way ... thank you for making my day! (And the photos were great, too!).

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    1. And now *you* have made *my* day, Linda! Thank you for reading and for your very kind comments.

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  18. Great post Kim.
    I totally agree with you. The inclusion of the new "photo birders" is one of the most important tasks that the birding community must bring on. It is not very helpful to go on about how photo birders don't know how to use the field guide or never care about the birds they photograph and getting too close to their subjects interfering with "us" true birders. All that is BS which will scare off those that are supposed to be co-fighters for bird conservation.
    Bird photographers come into the hobby from a different angle. They have not the classical schooling, nor the ethical codes, that the birdwatching community has nurtured for almost a century.
    So if the birders will not help out leading the new photo birders into the community, on-one will.
    The principle task for the blog series on http://birding.com.co is just that. To become a tool for those that get into birding in the digital age. Several bloggers have already agreed to contribute to that blog-series.

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