A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Dumb question

o.k., so I haven't exactly read this whole topic , but the dumb question part jumped out at me and since Thornius comes here and seems to be the "forum bird guru" I thought I'd throw out my own dumb question:

A short time ago someone (was it Lynne) posted about a "lifer" , a bird that you've never seen before in real life. Now my question is , Is it only called a "lifer" the first time you see it? If it comes back the next day or two weeks later you see another one is it still a "lifer" or only the first time?

I'm pretty sure it's only called a lifer the first time you see it. Birders often make a list of birds they'd like to see but haven't yet (lifers) and then check them off when they have a sighting.

Whenever we see a new species for the first we loudly proclaim, "LIFE BIRD!", and everybody has a laugh and congratulations are passed around.
As to field guides, the hottest one on the market, as well as the one almost universally proclaimed to be the best is the Sibley's guide. Number two in most of our libraries is, "The Golden Field Guide to Birds", commonly called Robbins' Guide. Both of these are excellent, although Sibley's IS the best.

It is onl;y called a "Lifer" the first time you see it. When I see one I put down the date and location I saw it in my Guide Book next to its picture. I've had two life birds this year: two American Black Ducks, and a House Wren. I had been hearing House Wrens for years and know and love their song well, They are VERY common birds in the spring and Summer, But in 18 years of intensive bird watching, study, and research, I had never actually seen one until this year. Since that first one in June, I have seen four more House Wrens, including two in my own yard. That bird house built and put up Sunday is for House Wrens and I wanted to attract some to nest in my yard next spring.
Last year I had one, "Lifer", several Solitary Sandpipers in a wet weather ankle deep pond in a local cemetery that I like to bird in.

Here are two of my favorite Bird forums:

http://www.birdersworld.com/brd/community/forum/

and on about.com, their forum on "birding and wild birds"

Both of these sites are educational and informative, and the about.com is insanely fun just like this forum we are on now.

Thank you so much , lynne and thornius! This is so fascinating to me, I saw a scarlet tanager just once , It was jaw-dropping. I looked it up in my bird book when I got home and the picture just didn't do it justice.

I've seen maybe 30 Scarlet Tanagers in 18 years of birding. They are much more spectacular in person than in a book. To me they look like they are angry all the time, LOL.

OMG, I just had a woodpecker land right outside my window on the siding I guess...there's not ledge under the window so I assume it was on the siding--scared the you know what out of me....It's head was sticking right where I could see it...never had that happen upstairs here before...NEAT...maybe it will make a break for the suet feeder....LOL

That was great!

Any idea what kind of woodpecker?

I don't know!!! It definetly was a woodpecker though....I guess whatever the common type is in my area is probably what it was....it was so neat!!!!

He WILL go for your suet!

Was it mostly black and white and wee~bit of
red on his head??

I love mine... we have bugs in dead trees and
in the summer that's all you hear is them gettin' dinner!!!

My mom just got a $13.oo "LOG", with 4 holes drilled into it,
and you can buy these suet logs to stick in..
What a market....$13.oo for a "LOG" !!!!!!!

Loz, Look at the first picture of my topic, "Today's Bird Picture" in this section of the forum. That picture is of a male Downey Woodpecker at one of my suet feeders. He is a regular visitor there. That may be what you saw.

That's the one I was thinkin' of Thornius...

If you hang it, they will come.

That sounds a little kinky there
Thornious!!!

Cindy made me say it!!!

Not to be confused with the Hairy Woodpecker which is identical but is 1 1/2 times the size of the Downey, and whose bill is almost the length of its head,while the Downeys bill is 1/4 to 1/2 the length of the head.

It must've been a male Downey Woodpecker becaue it had a red patch, I noticed that the females don't seem to have one....

Talking about hanging it, I wonder if they will come to this little Fox Squirrel?

Fox Squirrel (Male?)

Nice package

As to the male Fox Squirrel, guess who showed up.

Fox Squirrel (Female?)