birdsoup

           Many birders suffer from the same poor habit that plagued Sherlock Holmes’ companion, Dr. Watson. Sherlock constantly chided him saying “Watson, you look but you do not see.” The same is definitely true of some birders.

            After a new client had visited their lodgings on Baker Street, Holmes would ask Watson what he noticed about the client.   Dr. Watson might reply that the client was middle-aged, slightly shorter than average height with light brown hair. Sherlock, on the other hand, had observed the client more closely and offered a more detailed description.

            He would state, based on the unique tattoo on the client’s left wrist, his rolling gait and his deep tan that he had once been a sailor who spent time in the Caribbean.   Ink stains on his index finger suggest he is now an office clerk and the frays on his collar and sleeves indicate he has limited funds. To compensate for his lack of height, he had extra thick heels and soles on his shoes which were splashed with mud of a specific shade that is only found in one part of Sussex.

            Both men had observed the same client. Watson had looked at him carefully and formed a general impression. Sherlock, on the other hand, saw more deeply. Not only did he form a general impression, he also noticed all the minor details. Same client, two different descriptions. Watson looked, but Holmes saw.

            Similar variations occur when two birders look at a bird. One birder will notice the general impression. The other will see and note all the little details (that at times can help nail an ID). One looks, the other sees.

            For some species a general impression may be all that is needed to identify the bird, a robin, for example.   You have probably looked at thousands of robins. You don’t need binoculars. You can identify a robin easily with barely a glance. But have you ever really observed a robin closely, seen the little details?   Here’s a test: What is the color of a robin’s throat?   Have you ever noticed the small white triangles at the tip of its tail? Does in have an eye ring? Does it have wing bars?   Some birders can’t answer these questions without consulting a field guide or actually looking a robin to confirm the answers.   With common birds it is tempting to just look without really seeing the details.

            A mourning dove is another common bird, often looked at, but usually not seen in detail. Watson could provide the general description of a light brown bird with a long pointed tail and sort legs. Sherlock would have noted its pale blue eye ring and dark cheek spot.   When you spot a flicker, do you consistently look for presence of the mustache that indicates it is a male? Or are you content to simply indentify it as a flicker.

           For common, everyday birds it isn’t necessary to really see the bird in detail. However, for less common birds, it helps to see the details in order to confirm an ID. And for a rarity, it is absolutely essential to observe the bird closely.   Describing a robin as having a dark back and a rusty chest may be adequate for identifying a robin. But if you see an oriole outside its normal range, simply describing it as a black and orange bird is not enough to identify it. You need to see more details.

            Develop the habit of observing all birds closely.   Begin practicing with the common birds. Look closely at every bird. Make it a habit.   Otherwise you won’t remember to see the details when you do find that rarity.

            Henry David Thoreau also noted that not everyone observes carefully. He warned of observational bias where “you only see what you expect to find.” I am guilty of that. Last spring I was casually glancing at my umpteenth Common Grackle of the day when suddenly my companion got excited about a Rusty Blackbird. I wanted to shout “Where? Where?” but realized it was the bird I was just looking at. The fields were overflowing with grackles, so I just assumed this was another one of many. I hadn’t taken the time to notice the shorter tail and overall smaller size.

          I definitely had the tenancy to look at a bird but not see. It was deeply ingrained habit and hard to break. But I finally found the secret technique that worked for me – I would talk to myself. I discovered that verbally describing a bird to myself as I looked at it was a good way to overcome my lazy habit and turn close observation into a routine. And it forced me to take my time and really look closely. As I looked, I would described the bird to myself as a medium size, chunky bird, dark above with white streaked throat, broken white eye-ring, running, not hopping, on a lawn, with long wing projection. If I was birding alone, I talked to myself out loud, voicing the description. I would start by talking about a general impression, then look closely at the head. I would describe the bill, the cap, any stripes and then I would talk about the wings. I talked about every part of the bird. If I was in a group, I had the same conversation, but silently in my mind.   This technique forced me to look at all the details, to really see the bird.   It also helped me remember those details in the event I had to check a field guide later to verify a sighting.

            Don’t fall into Watson’s bad habit of looking but not seeing. Learn to see every time. Start by talking to yourself.  

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