Two things...
Both of today's thoughts (and that is a grand description for what follows), come courtesy of the latest issue of Birdwatch magazine.
A whole page of this issue is devoted to photographs of birders 'birding'. In fact some of them aren't even birding, more gurning at the cameraman taking the picture. This is, of course, harmless - but who is it aimed at? The only people I can think of whose lives will be enriched by seeing them are those who actually appear in the pictures, although one of the images does show a young lad, so I would assume his wider family would be proud of seeing him in print. Maybe this is part of media's obsession with celebrity culture, of pushing the 'me, me, me' (to steal, once more, from Mr Lethbridge). In fact, one of the pictures is his! I can see the worth of a news-worthy image (3,000 at the Golden-winged Warbler) or curiosity value (a rare bird perched on someone's head, which evokes memories of that Nutcracker a few years back). Whatever next - a photographic page of birders packed lunches?
On the opposite page was a news item about the multi-splitting of Red-bellied Pitta into a further 17 (I think) species. Most of these will be found on single islands spread across Indonesia. My thoughts at once went to Chris Goodie, author of the superb 'The Jewel Hunter'. In it he tells the tale of his year in which he successfully saw all of the worlds pittas. Not any more he hasn't...
A whole page of this issue is devoted to photographs of birders 'birding'. In fact some of them aren't even birding, more gurning at the cameraman taking the picture. This is, of course, harmless - but who is it aimed at? The only people I can think of whose lives will be enriched by seeing them are those who actually appear in the pictures, although one of the images does show a young lad, so I would assume his wider family would be proud of seeing him in print. Maybe this is part of media's obsession with celebrity culture, of pushing the 'me, me, me' (to steal, once more, from Mr Lethbridge). In fact, one of the pictures is his! I can see the worth of a news-worthy image (3,000 at the Golden-winged Warbler) or curiosity value (a rare bird perched on someone's head, which evokes memories of that Nutcracker a few years back). Whatever next - a photographic page of birders packed lunches?
On the opposite page was a news item about the multi-splitting of Red-bellied Pitta into a further 17 (I think) species. Most of these will be found on single islands spread across Indonesia. My thoughts at once went to Chris Goodie, author of the superb 'The Jewel Hunter'. In it he tells the tale of his year in which he successfully saw all of the worlds pittas. Not any more he hasn't...
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