On the Wing #64: X Factor

Listing can be a tedious and annoying task, but it can also be enjoyable and brag worthy. There is nothing better than comparing notes and numbers of year lists, life lists, all manners of lists with one's fellow birders. My own life list hovers just over 320 spp., making me excited for my trip to Bombay Hook NWR this weekend. With reports of American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) along the coast of the refuge, I'm pumped to get some more lifers. I found out about their presence by following the ABA Rare Bird Alerts on my email (the Ruff being considered a code 3) and noting what observers on eBird had seen. Most of them listed a single bird hanging out with other shorebirds in a specific pool which brought my spirits up to know that they bird was staying in one place. Having a network of tips and lists at your fingertips and being able to use it to find birds is just amazing and I'm so happy to be able to contribute to such a service. However, in my pursuit of these species, there is one type of lister that gets on my nerves. I call these listers: "X Factors".

This is a sample from a birder on eBird who seems either to be too lazy to list the birds they noticed, were in a hurry at the time of noting the species (given that this many species, one would think that they would have noted at least a few of them even if it was just one sitting on a twig above the parking lot.), or not caring about listing enough to actually put forth useful information (see point 1). I know it shouldn't bother me. I know that some people genuinely watch birds for the joy it brings and not the listing mania that can and is often associated with it. But damn it, if I want to see a species (the Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) serving as a good example of a lifer) and want to know how common they are, an "X" isn't going to be of much help. All an "X" tells me is that the bird is/was present on this given day and not much else.

Admittedly, I will use "X's" when convenient as well. I typically use them when describing a large flock of birds (usually waterfowl or gulls) that are too numerous and often jumpy to count one by one (which incidentally is the only way I know how to count birds other than a random guess). Also if I want to concentrate on less common species, I'll put "X's" in for birds like Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) and the like. Other than that, I try to honestly note how many species I've seen and maybe a little about what they were doing as well.

I don't know about you folks, but this annoys me more than it should. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe I should let it go. But then again, if I did that, what would I have to blog about?

Hopefully, I'll have something cheerier to blog about next week. It's been a long week at work and I meant to update on Wednesday, but forgot. Have a great weekend and as always, happy birding ^_^.