Category: Birding research

Using Radar to predict Bird Migration

photo credit: kbaird In my dissertation, I take some time to talk about the use and adoption of recently-available technologies (specifically digital cameras to take pictures of birds, nexrad radar to predict migration and the Internet to share bird sightings) by birders. I call the products of these technologies (so, the digital pictures, radar images […]

Warblers, migration, birding & ethics

photo credit: kenschneiderusa In my dissertation, I write a bit about the ethical alignments that underpin birders’ behaviours (I asked birders what rules, if any, they followed while birding). Along a continuum from human-centred (anthropocentric) to nature-centred (biocentric), the birders I spoke with shared “rules” that ran from one end to the other. Here’s an […]

The walk, the White-throat and the chance encounter in birding

While out with the dogs and Heather this morning, I heard a bird song that was different than the “regular” bird noises I hear while I’m out and about. I had a similar experience of hearing an unusual call last month. Upon hearing that call, off I went traipsing across a park with a dog […]

Birding: sport or conservation?

This post is one part of a two-parter that I’m writing in response to a paper on the sport of birding that was published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. photo credit: auburnxc Instead of protest, culture jamming, confrontation, and direct action the environmental sporting practices of traveling the state by automobile and […]

Mapping the locations mentioned by Ontario birders

This post includes ruminations and ideas emerging as I analyze the data collected for my PhD dissertation focusing on the act of birding. It doesn’t represent a final thought or particular endpoint: these are ideas in progress. I would be interested in hearing your opinion of my ideas, too. During my analysis, I kept track […]