Dumb Asses

The other week I went for a walk to one of the nearby lake parks.  I was there a day earlier releasing some birds for Toronto Wildlife and heard eastern bluebirds in the meadow.  Time was not on my side to go seek them out for a look and a photograph so I vowed to come back.

Unfortunately they did not stick around.  Boooo!  I love bluebirds.

I tried to make the best of the outing and walk around, see what else was in the area.  A lot of the birds to be expected were about...  robins, chickadees, cardinals, hermit thrushes stopping in for a feed and some rest while on their migratory journey.  Then near a small pond I saw what looked like a chubby wren.  Quick glances I knew it wasn't the usual house wren species that I often encounter in our area through the summer.

It was difficult to stay on the bird with my bins.  It was in and out of the reeds and other plants surrounding the pond.  I was making mental notes of the field marks on the bird.  A quick look at the bird app on my phone and I guessed it was a marsh wren.  A few more looks at it plus some "so so" photos and I was certain on my ID.  This may have only been my second time ever seeing this bird species.  I thought it was pretty cool and moved along, feeling satisfied with my walk despite not getting to see bluebirds.

I passed a guy along the path and he asked me what I had been seeing,  I ran off a short list with the marsh wren being last (but not least).  He immediately blurted out at me "No way!  Impossible!"  I tried to explain something back to him but he cut me off, told me that I should go buy a better bird guide than whatever I had.  I wasn't going to argue back any further.  Why bother?  Plus with us being in a pandemic, I wanted to stay far back and eventually get away from his loud mouth.  So no showing him photos on the back screen of my camera.  I ended up telling him where I saw the bird and then moved along.

It would be nice if he went and sought it out.  Finding it.  Then hopefully learning something.  But I doubt it.

I somehow think he looked at me, seeing the long hair and immediately judged me as who knows what on top of being someone who isn't a "birder".  I never call myself a birder.  I never call myself a photographer.  I'm just a guy that likes everything from the natural world and also likes to take pictures of the creatures I come across.  F**k the labels!  F**k the stereotypes too!

Some years ago I ran into a guy taking photos of a northern mockingbird.  He was insistent that it was a northern shrike though, and he was so happy to see one so accommodating for the photo opp.  I politely tried to correct him on his bird identification here.  He got quite irate, called me a "stupid metal head who doesn't know birds" and went back to shooting.  That was enough for me.  I just walked away though I should have said something unkind in return.

A friend tells me to ignore these bird snobs.  I think dumb asses is a better term.