Got to thinking on "Bird Books".

I have a few. Over the years they kinda collected as people gave them to me, and I also bought one from time to time. Bird books are fun.

Birding is a cheap hobby, but one I have enjoyed more than the many others I have.
Maybe because it requires little work, just sit on the porch with a bottle of cold beer, maybe throw out some seed.

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My first book obtained was "Peterson's" on the advice of a friend (member here). I have later copies of it, but this first remains my favorite. That is because it is beat up, and I don't have to worry about it. It stays on the porch with the rain and snow. I have written on the pages and marked it up here and there with notes over a couple decades of use. I know every page, and which pages to hunt down whoever. I use it all the time. It is valuable/priceless -> to me.
http://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field...petersons+bird
I have other field guides and use them also to verify what I see. Some use photos and some use drawings. These days the internet is a wonderful source of information. It cannot replace a good book, but adds endless info and photos and even sounds.

In 2001, my Bride gave me a Cornell Bird Diary for Christmas. I don't keep a "LIFE LIST" as do many of my friends, but I do keep a list of the birds I have seen here in my backyard along with notes. My count is over a hundred. There would be more, but I don't "cheat" me. If I am not sure, I let it go until I am. I try to also get some type of photo which can be impossible as some are just passing by for a moment. I live on a minor "flyway" along the Blue Ridge and so Fall and Spring can bring most anyone by for refueling.

My brother is pissed at me for taking back his "YC decoder ring" until he abides by the rules. So I thought I would send him a copy to show I still love him. The damn thing is out of print and starts at $80 on Amazon and goes up. I don't love him that much.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new
It is $215 at Barnes and Noble:bull_head:.
I found a used copy, added the Peterson field guide. I hope he likes/uses them and see this as his Christmas present.

Many people who consider them self to be a "bird watcher/birder" keep a life list of birds they have identified. I recommend that as a way to add to the fun.
I don't have a "life list", wish I did. Some of my friends plan a trip or a vacation around adding one just bird to their list. They get to see a lot, do a lot and also have a fun goal in the background of the trip.

Building a list is easy - to a point, then it is very, very difficult.

Starting a list changes everything. It can make a casual sighting more like a hunting trip. My heart beat goes crazy if I see a new bird or even one I have not seen in a few months. Adding a new bird is very exciting. Just seeing what "might be" one for the list gets my heart beat so high I can't hold the binos steady. I am not exaggerating. Instead of killing it to hang on the wall, I write it down, maybe get a photo.

Like I posted above, you need rules. "You" get to make them if you are a hermit and don't play well with others. If you are mainstream, common rules are already out there for you.

Mine are:
- must be seen and positively identified, no guessing.
- must be seen by me around the house. Birds seen once a car is used don't count. Boat is OK, if I don't pull it some where with the car (separate list for trips).

In my book I also have a list of birds I have lured to "perch" on the porch. That list is at 52.
Starting a list is fun and easy. Of course every time a bird is added, it gets harder to add another. It also gets much more exciting.


Maybe Toad, and I, and you? could start a new list here on YC.
It could be birds sighted in or from our backyard.

The rules will be on the honor system:

- the bird must be positive ID, no guessing -
- the bird must be seen while you are at your residence. If you can see it from there, it counts.
- Contest will start 01Sept14 and go to midnight 31Dec14.
- anyone joining in not now members of YC must be vetted and Gnome approved.

Prize will be a quality bird feeder.

Who will play?