mica (the mineral)
@micathemineral.bsky.social
natural science illustrator, museum exhibit designer, naturalist, outdoorswoman, rock climber, birder, polar enthusiast, she/her 🏳️🌈 https://linktr.ee/micalow
Yeah, they did a good (and funny) job of showing how actually miserable birding that way is. It's crazy how normalized using your phone in the field is now!
November 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Yeah, they did a good (and funny) job of showing how actually miserable birding that way is. It's crazy how normalized using your phone in the field is now!
What about the titmice???
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
What about the titmice???
And must everything be gamified? Why does a citizen science site want me to have a 'streak'? Is THAT healthy?
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
And must everything be gamified? Why does a citizen science site want me to have a 'streak'? Is THAT healthy?
(But was a notebook really better? That meant looking down and away from the birds too, although less often.)
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
(But was a notebook really better? That meant looking down and away from the birds too, although less often.)
Is Count Every Individual a healthy approach to birding?
Is accurately counting every junco more valuable to science than leaving my phone in my pocket and simply observing and learning about their behavior is to ME?
Is 'x' in a checklist truly a sin worth missing being in the moment to avoid?
Is accurately counting every junco more valuable to science than leaving my phone in my pocket and simply observing and learning about their behavior is to ME?
Is 'x' in a checklist truly a sin worth missing being in the moment to avoid?
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Is Count Every Individual a healthy approach to birding?
Is accurately counting every junco more valuable to science than leaving my phone in my pocket and simply observing and learning about their behavior is to ME?
Is 'x' in a checklist truly a sin worth missing being in the moment to avoid?
Is accurately counting every junco more valuable to science than leaving my phone in my pocket and simply observing and learning about their behavior is to ME?
Is 'x' in a checklist truly a sin worth missing being in the moment to avoid?
Is having constant access to the exact number of my life list destroying my brain? Is 'Number Go Up' a healthy approach to birding?
Am I having fun? Am I actually learning anything by chasing rarities? Or am I just ticking a box and going home?
Am I having fun? Am I actually learning anything by chasing rarities? Or am I just ticking a box and going home?
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Is having constant access to the exact number of my life list destroying my brain? Is 'Number Go Up' a healthy approach to birding?
Am I having fun? Am I actually learning anything by chasing rarities? Or am I just ticking a box and going home?
Am I having fun? Am I actually learning anything by chasing rarities? Or am I just ticking a box and going home?
All this waffle to say that while I saw my dickcissel this morning, I've been doing so much listing this past month (+6 lifers) that it's made me reconsider my priorities. Am I bird watching or am I bird counting?
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
All this waffle to say that while I saw my dickcissel this morning, I've been doing so much listing this past month (+6 lifers) that it's made me reconsider my priorities. Am I bird watching or am I bird counting?
Is it more pressing to count every titmouse For The Good Of Science, or to take a moment to be present *with* the titmice? I think I miss when I was spending more time on the latter and less on the former.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Is it more pressing to count every titmouse For The Good Of Science, or to take a moment to be present *with* the titmice? I think I miss when I was spending more time on the latter and less on the former.
Or you might simply miss standing quietly and watching the commonplace but absorbing sight of a group of tufted titmice conducting a thorough and spirited inspection of an ornamental cherry tree for anything tasty. No grand drama, no raptors, no rarities, but worth stopping for all the same.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Or you might simply miss standing quietly and watching the commonplace but absorbing sight of a group of tufted titmice conducting a thorough and spirited inspection of an ornamental cherry tree for anything tasty. No grand drama, no raptors, no rarities, but worth stopping for all the same.
If you're looking down at your phone every ten seconds to add yet ANOTHER to your dark-eyed junco tally (seriously, there were so many this morning. winter has arrived!) and stressing about count accuracy you might miss catching a glimpse of the late-migrating dickcissel you were there to see.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
If you're looking down at your phone every ten seconds to add yet ANOTHER to your dark-eyed junco tally (seriously, there were so many this morning. winter has arrived!) and stressing about count accuracy you might miss catching a glimpse of the late-migrating dickcissel you were there to see.
Of course eBird data needs to be accurate and quantitative to be useful for researchers, but I feel like the combination of its inherent focus on numbers and its ubiquity in birding today means something essential about the experience gets lost.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Of course eBird data needs to be accurate and quantitative to be useful for researchers, but I feel like the combination of its inherent focus on numbers and its ubiquity in birding today means something essential about the experience gets lost.
(You can, of course, add notes to your ebird lists, but you can't doodle little smiley faces, or look back someday to see your handwriting from age 11 when you were really excited about cedar waxings, or write anything TOO goofy or personal in The Very Public Citizen Science Record that is ebird.)
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
(You can, of course, add notes to your ebird lists, but you can't doodle little smiley faces, or look back someday to see your handwriting from age 11 when you were really excited about cedar waxings, or write anything TOO goofy or personal in The Very Public Citizen Science Record that is ebird.)
My paper trip lists were qualitative accounts of the birding experience.
My childhood sighting records contain excited asides about what the bird was doing when I saw it...except they weren't asides, not really. They were an integral part of the record.
My childhood sighting records contain excited asides about what the bird was doing when I saw it...except they weren't asides, not really. They were an integral part of the record.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
My paper trip lists were qualitative accounts of the birding experience.
My childhood sighting records contain excited asides about what the bird was doing when I saw it...except they weren't asides, not really. They were an integral part of the record.
My childhood sighting records contain excited asides about what the bird was doing when I saw it...except they weren't asides, not really. They were an integral part of the record.
I would also note plants or non-bird animals I'd seen, the weather, the aesthetic qualities of the location, exciting bird behaviors, etc.
I often neglected to count 'common' species entirely, and only noted birds I found particularly interesting. I used to put a little star by lifers.
I often neglected to count 'common' species entirely, and only noted birds I found particularly interesting. I used to put a little star by lifers.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I would also note plants or non-bird animals I'd seen, the weather, the aesthetic qualities of the location, exciting bird behaviors, etc.
I often neglected to count 'common' species entirely, and only noted birds I found particularly interesting. I used to put a little star by lifers.
I often neglected to count 'common' species entirely, and only noted birds I found particularly interesting. I used to put a little star by lifers.
When I was birding without ebird I'd keep my day list or trip list in a tiny pocket notebook. I never counted (or even considered the idea of counting) numbers of individuals. It was a simple list of what species I saw on that date, regardless of how many locations I visited.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
When I was birding without ebird I'd keep my day list or trip list in a tiny pocket notebook. I never counted (or even considered the idea of counting) numbers of individuals. It was a simple list of what species I saw on that date, regardless of how many locations I visited.
I've kept a life list since 2004 but didn't know my number pre-ebird—to check I'd have to go through the binder and manually count up entries on my paper list, and who has time for that?
And THAT was a step more systematic than my previous method, hand-written notes in the margins of my Sibley's.
And THAT was a step more systematic than my previous method, hand-written notes in the margins of my Sibley's.
November 20, 2025 at 11:05 PM
I've kept a life list since 2004 but didn't know my number pre-ebird—to check I'd have to go through the binder and manually count up entries on my paper list, and who has time for that?
And THAT was a step more systematic than my previous method, hand-written notes in the margins of my Sibley's.
And THAT was a step more systematic than my previous method, hand-written notes in the margins of my Sibley's.
This is such a good point, I'm always looking for weird angles to use as ref, but never think to upload them myself. You've inspired me to upload this snow bunting butt to Macaulay right now.
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 PM
This is such a good point, I'm always looking for weird angles to use as ref, but never think to upload them myself. You've inspired me to upload this snow bunting butt to Macaulay right now.
Tragically this wasn’t even a cheapo tripod, it was brand new and $350 or so. Not high end, but not something I expected to disintegrate on its third or fourth use (when my scope was well below the stated weight limit)!
November 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Tragically this wasn’t even a cheapo tripod, it was brand new and $350 or so. Not high end, but not something I expected to disintegrate on its third or fourth use (when my scope was well below the stated weight limit)!
in the process of finding him, my tripod head BROKE STRAIGHT OFF, and by pure chance my scope happened to be in a position that allowed me to catch it before it hit the rocks so I’m considering him my lucky duck.
(free tip for other birders: never buy a benro tripod, overpriced flimsy crap)
(free tip for other birders: never buy a benro tripod, overpriced flimsy crap)
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 AM
in the process of finding him, my tripod head BROKE STRAIGHT OFF, and by pure chance my scope happened to be in a position that allowed me to catch it before it hit the rocks so I’m considering him my lucky duck.
(free tip for other birders: never buy a benro tripod, overpriced flimsy crap)
(free tip for other birders: never buy a benro tripod, overpriced flimsy crap)
Warbling vireo has been split into eastern and western!
October 30, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Warbling vireo has been split into eastern and western!