Wakerobin TrilliumMy name is Beth, and I am a lister.
Yes, a serious lister. I love birding and I can't imagine my life without it. But I can't bird without listing. Every single time I go out. The only time I don't keep a list of the birds I see is when I am backyard birding. My North American ABA list is 190 species). My Pennsylvania list is 82 species. My North Carolina list is 78. My New Jersey list is 101. My West Virginia list is 90. My yard list is 52 species. I will have a Florida list when I go to the Space Coast Bird Festival in January 2010. Get the picture?
Keeping up with all the lists is almost a full time job in itself. Lots of spreadsheets and several notebooks with scribbles, smudges and wet pages.
Wild StrawberryOn my trip the New River Festival, I pretty much ignored all the wildflowers that people were seeing and appreciating. I wanted birds, darn it. I came for the birds. Well, the guides and the birders wore me down. I started to notice the wildflowers.
Then I started to keep a list.
I just bought a wildflower field guide.
Damn it.
I'm hooked.
Another list.
Cow Vetch
Winter Cress
Beard Tongue
4 comments:
Beth do you ebird? You can put all those bird lists to good use and ebird will keep track of all the indiviual list for you. It will organize your counts into months, locations and year lists. It will organize your lists into State lists. And, your bird counts will help the birds and the scientists who study them. eBird has sarted a blog and they NEED listers like you! I just started ebirding a little over a year ago and I am hooked! Let me know if you need any help with ebird. I'm like you and I concentrated on the birds at New River also. I am trying to learn the plants because it helps with bird info but I won't be listing flowers any time soon (I don't think.) Nice photos!
Hi Kathie - no, I haven't tried eBird yet, but now I will check it out. Thanks for the tip! You may have saved me time and it is good to know that someone will benefit from my compulsiveness!
Beth
What about snails and salamanders?
(I'll get you hooked on another list, yet!)
Yes, Nina. This is ALL your fault. Another list to keep. Although, I was leafing through the wildflowers field guide last nite and got totally overwhelmed! Birds are easier!
Beth
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