A gauntlet was thrown down. An inner voice said to let it lie. I ignored the voice. What would make an expert birder appreciate a bird? Appreciate it highly, no less. The bird should be hard to find or hard to identify. Extremely rare should not contribute to the appreciation if you just walk up and tick the bird on your checklist. Nor should you just spend your way to the bird. Anybody can see a Tristan Albatross by spending a small fortune. With these criteria here’s my take on the list.
- Pipits are hard to identify. However, a real expert birder knows his/her pipits. Which is the most appreciated pipit? The last one to tick off, of course.
- Albatrosses at sea. Heaving ship, seasickness and identification based on edges of the bill and ever-changing plumage patterns. Also magnificent birds, truly awe-inspiring.
- Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Of course, we all want to see this one but it’s not easy to find. Identification is a doddle, the photograph is by Kai.
- Herring Gull. What? Yes, a Herring Gull in Portugal among thousands and thousands of Yellow-legged Gulls. It’s there, but only the expert can find it.
- São Tomé Grosbeak. Not too expensive to travel to its native island but quite a strenuous excursion to actually see it.
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Very hard to find because it has been extinct for longer than my Mum has been alive (hi Mum!). But hey, could be a Lazarus species like number 5 of the list.
- African Pitta. Like all pittas blends in perfectly into the undergrowth of the jungles of Africa. Best season coincides with the worst season for trips to its breeding grounds. I am on the fence whether it actually exists.
- Woodcreepers. Don’t take my word for it, Faraaz is the expert.
- Black, Brown-capped, or Gray-crowned Rosy Finches. They’re in Colorado on some feeders, but you might get shot looking for them. Only experts know how to dodge them bullets.
- Nemesis Bird. You all have one or two (if you have hundreds you are not an expert, sorry).
Peter Penning is a sustainability management consultant who spends many weeks abroad away from his homes in The Netherlands and Portugal. Although work distracts him regularly from the observation of birds, he has managed to see a great many species regardless. He firmly believes in the necessity of birders to contribute to conservation. He supports BirdLife in the Netherlands, South Africa and Portugal (SPEA – Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves). Peter sees himself as a great photographer - a vision cruelly conflicting with reality.
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