On the way to school this morning the boys asked me “..what is that bird mam?..”
My bird identification skills are fine when a handy reference book is at hand and, ideally, when the subject is still and all the markings are obvious. But when it comes to recognizing the very same species in a hedge, at pace, it’s a very different matter!
But now I’ve found the answer. All I have to do is take my phone out of my bag, take a little snap of said critter, and then upload it to a website managed by the Open University – iSpot.
A Waxwing? A Brambling? No, it's the colourful Mr.Chaffinch.
Once your picture [or even just a description] is on the website, someone who knows something about birds will pose you a question or two – where you saw it, when you saw – and then proceed to help you identify it.
Simply put, iSpot is the website aimed at helping anyone identify anything in nature.
Of course, some people who read this blog are wildlife ‘experts’. So, to the wildlife professionals [and even the most fully-feathered 'Twitchers'] I say this – why not help novices like me by chipping in to the iSpot community, helping identify the species captured in pictures and descriptions right across Wales? iSpot offers a great opportunity to share both knowledge and enthusiasm for any or all wildlife through the length and breadth of the country.
There have already been a number of very interesting sightings reported on the site, including a first for Britain – a euonymous leaf cutter bee – spotted by a six-year old and her father!
So, back to my walk this morning. With the help of iSpot I can now safely say that the little bird was a Chaffinch. With a bit of luck I’ll spot it on the way back home, and confidently tell the boys what it is!
See also
The Open University’s iSpot website
Learn more about wildlife, share your interest with a friendly community and get help identifying what you have seen.
Being a bit of a technophobe I’m not a big fan of many “apps” and the such, as I generally find that they hinder rather help me in my day to day life. However I have to say that I think that iSpot is a brilliant idea and a great example of how technology can be used encourage the amateur nature enthusiast….which surely has to be a good thing if we are going to help sustain our planet!!