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Wednesday, 22 September 2010
The good ole `grapevine`
Sadly thats the way it has become ` Fuck you jack i`m alright`
It happens to everyone at some point Steve; it certainly has to me in the past. I'm sure there's no malice or grippery intended. I think it's just a case of not knowing certain people's numbers (my excuse for not ringing The Snipe, Smudger or Clive) or oversight (sorry Maurice).
Sometimes you just assume others will have phoned one person or another and occasionally someone gets missed out purely by accident. Other times it might be that someone assumes that someone has a pager and the news is out quicker than you actually think. Soz, I usually try and ring everyone I know might be interested and whose number I have.
If the Bobolink had been a White throated Needletail, perhaps a 90 minute bird there would have been hell to pay, so the next time a mega turns up think about others not so fortunate!!!
We all ring one another when a goodie turns - we have done for the past 25+ years. In fact we crosslines with each other. I am really annoyed with myself for not phoning Smudger & The Snipe. I have no contact number for Clive. We should all know, that we ALL get a call from, dare I say it, us Cardiffians. So in future I proposed we ring someone who isn't usually on the Cardiff grapevine. Then I suppose we can sleep easier. Just a thought. Now who's for a controlled walk-through............arrrrrggggggghhh!!!
Steve, as the Snipe eluded to on GBC 1 when something as big as a Bobolink breaks locally, it's often difficult for people to start updating forums when the main urge is to dash off to the bird. From the moment you phoned yesterday the mobile pretty much went into meltdown and as fast I could make outgoing calls I was receiving incoming calls, all whilst trying to sort a finish in work and hot foot it to the car. It was not helped by the fact that in the short period after the news broke most people's phones were bouncing to answerphone as everyone was on the phone.In such an atmosphere it's easy to lose track of who knows and who doesn't and people get missed out. As for the 90 minute Needletail, that's why I cough for a pager. The Bobolink was mega alerted within 20minutes of the initial news breaking.
I can imagine how the 'phones were so it's not surprising that some slipped thro' the net. T'would have been a world lifer for me an'all as somehow I haven't even connected with one in a number of visits across the pond. Never mind eh? Re Needletail that's my dream fantasy - of one day turning up at boring old Cosmeston and seeing one bombing around west lake :-0
Indeed you are correct Clive, I should have called, it just slipped my mind as I drove round picking people up from stations and roundabouts on route. I'm sure there are others who have your number who had less far to travel and fewer people to collect/ rush hour traffic to negotiate and a phone that was glowing red hot, than I?!
Randal you just couldn't be arsed that's the truth of it, just wanted to get there asap , me, me ,me, fcuk anyone else, you selfish blah, blah blah. As for Cww getting the info at 5 45 and not wanting to go back out , why the fcuks that , didn't want to miss the news at 6
It's only because coincidentally i swapped phone numbers with Alex a few days previous that i got the call otherwise i would have been fucked also.It is annoying when you know there are certain people which i always make sure they receive the news promptly.
Years ago before mobiles, pagers and website there was the grapevine. If you were not part of it, then you were blind to all news of rarities. You could ring a Norfolk cafe known as Nancy's, otherwise you were on your own. I can recall on one occasion, a group coming in to the Gower from a day out up country to be asked: 'anything about' and met with the answer: 'it's still there'. Nowadays there is almost instant access to all birds within minutes of them being found, either by pager, although a number haven't got one, me included. Mobile phone or website info. Sometimes however this breaks down and in the rush people revert to type - and yes I was guilty on Monday too. I selfishly made sure that my inner circle of Cardiffians [ a very rude word in certain quarters] got a call and off I rushed. Like AB's comments, my phone was buzzing with all the people of the 'inner circle', with the exception of Middle Man, who was on the spot at the time, giving me updates. This circle has been in operation for 30+ years in Cardiff, as we are all keen twitchers and we all make sure that we all get news as quick as possible. I know there are other sections/groups of Glamorgan birding that work this way and they give news out when they hear of it. I'm not making any excuses for those who didn't get a call. I am truly sorry that you didn't see the bird in question and I know that some reading this will also think that the inner Cardiff circle are selfish. Yes to a point I can agree, we have all grown up together as birders. Most still go to the Gower on Tuesday's and we still ring one another asap when a rare turns up. It's not a matter of your face doesn't fit, so no phonecall. It was an oversight and I'm afraid the ones who didn't see the Bobolink must shrug their shoulders and get on with it. It has happened to me in the past, like it has happened to all here Cardiff - see Seymour's posting. If or when another rarity turns up we shall make every effort to contact as many outer circle numbers as possibly. I'm not promising anything but I cannot say fairer than that.
Look its all very simple but requires organisation. The only way to get news out fast is to have groups set up on a phone - one text message press the group button and you've done your bit. Text messaging is far more efficient in these circumstances as it ensures that the recipient gets his message when the phone is receiving signal or in my case when he switches the bloody thing on! All we need these days is a list of phone numbers 5/6 primary receivers then each of these has six to contact and suddenly there are 36 that 36 phones another 6 each and you've got 216 then 216 x 6 = 1396................. Then we'll be complaining that we cannot see the bird through the crowd....hmm!
22 comments:
It happens to everyone at some point Steve; it certainly has to me in the past. I'm sure there's no malice or grippery intended. I think it's just a case of not knowing certain people's numbers (my excuse for not ringing The Snipe, Smudger or Clive) or oversight (sorry Maurice).
Sometimes you just assume others will have phoned one person or another and occasionally someone gets missed out purely by accident. Other times it might be that someone assumes that someone has a pager and the news is out quicker than you actually think. Soz, I usually try and ring everyone I know might be interested and whose number I have.
If the Bobolink had been a White throated Needletail, perhaps a 90 minute bird there would have been hell to pay, so the next time a mega turns up think about others not so fortunate!!!
Ok, I'll up my donation to Oxfam when the next one arrives and is then selectively surpressed....
We all ring one another when a goodie turns - we have done for the past 25+ years. In fact we crosslines with each other. I am really annoyed with myself for not phoning Smudger & The Snipe. I have no contact number for Clive. We should all know, that we ALL get a call from, dare I say it, us Cardiffians. So in future I proposed we ring someone who isn't usually on the Cardiff grapevine. Then I suppose we can sleep easier. Just a thought. Now who's for a controlled walk-through............arrrrrggggggghhh!!!
Steve, as the Snipe eluded to on GBC 1 when something as big as a Bobolink breaks locally, it's often difficult for people to start updating forums when the main urge is to dash off to the bird. From the moment you phoned yesterday the mobile pretty much went into meltdown and as fast I could make outgoing calls I was receiving incoming calls, all whilst trying to sort a finish in work and hot foot it to the car. It was not helped by the fact that in the short period after the news broke most people's phones were bouncing to answerphone as everyone was on the phone.In such an atmosphere it's easy to lose track of who knows and who doesn't and people get missed out. As for the 90 minute Needletail, that's why I cough for a pager. The Bobolink was mega alerted within 20minutes of the initial news breaking.
I can imagine how the 'phones were so it's not surprising that some slipped thro' the net. T'would have been a world lifer for me an'all as somehow I haven't even connected with one in a number of visits across the pond. Never mind eh? Re Needletail that's my dream fantasy - of one day turning up at boring old Cosmeston and seeing one bombing around west lake :-0
Hey! No one EVER calls me...though I can understand why...
maybe we'll see you kids in May for the warbler migration at Magee Marsh or Point Pelee!
My number is 07865661133 and it has certainly been used in the past.
Indeed you are correct Clive, I should have called, it just slipped my mind as I drove round picking people up from stations and roundabouts on route. I'm sure there are others who have your number who had less far to travel and fewer people to collect/ rush hour traffic to negotiate and a phone that was glowing red hot, than I?!
Randal you just couldn't be arsed that's the truth of it, just wanted to get there asap , me, me ,me, fcuk anyone else, you selfish blah, blah blah.
As for Cww getting the info at 5 45 and not wanting to go back out , why the fcuks that , didn't want to miss the news at 6
It's only because coincidentally i swapped phone numbers with Alex a few days previous that i got the call otherwise i would have been fucked also.It is annoying when you know there are certain people which i always make sure they receive the news promptly.
Years ago before mobiles, pagers and website there was the grapevine. If you were not part of it, then you were blind to all news of rarities. You could ring a Norfolk cafe known as Nancy's, otherwise you were on your own. I can recall on one occasion, a group coming in to the Gower from a day out up country to be asked: 'anything about' and met with the answer: 'it's still there'. Nowadays there is almost instant access to all birds within minutes of them being found, either by pager, although a number haven't got one, me included. Mobile phone or website info. Sometimes however this breaks down and in the rush people revert to type - and yes I was guilty on Monday too. I selfishly made sure that my inner circle of Cardiffians [ a very rude word in certain quarters] got a call and off I rushed. Like AB's comments, my phone was buzzing with all the people of the 'inner circle', with the exception of Middle Man, who was on the spot at the time, giving me updates. This circle has been in operation for 30+ years in Cardiff, as we are all keen twitchers and we all make sure that we all get news as quick as possible. I know there are other sections/groups of Glamorgan birding that work this way and they give news out when they hear of it. I'm not making any excuses for those who didn't get a call. I am truly sorry that you didn't see the bird in question and I know that some reading this will also think that the inner Cardiff circle are selfish. Yes to a point I can agree, we have all grown up together as birders. Most still go to the Gower on Tuesday's and we still ring one another asap when a rare turns up. It's not a matter of your face doesn't fit, so no phonecall. It was an oversight and I'm afraid the ones who didn't see the Bobolink must shrug their shoulders and get on with it. It has happened to me in the past, like it has happened to all here Cardiff - see Seymour's posting. If or when another rarity turns up we shall make every effort to contact as many outer circle numbers as possibly. I'm not promising anything but I cannot say fairer than that.
One thing I can't get my head around is the fact that with thousands of grands worth of cameras and lenses present no one got even a half decent photo
I've got yours now Clive - mine's 07999 801645 in case anyone's interested.
Grapevine,shouldn't that read Gripvine?
:)
Look its all very simple but requires organisation.
The only way to get news out fast is to have groups set up on a phone - one text message press the group button and you've done your bit.
Text messaging is far more efficient in these circumstances as it ensures that the recipient gets his message when the phone is receiving signal or in my case when he switches the bloody thing on!
All we need these days is a list of phone numbers 5/6 primary receivers then each of these has six to contact and suddenly there are 36 that 36 phones another 6 each and you've got 216 then 216 x 6 = 1396.................
Then we'll be complaining that we cannot see the bird through the crowd....hmm!
Great idea! Come to think of it' they operate something similar in Shetland Rich and it works well enough there.
Over to you to organise CR...
Yeah but think of the money you earned instead Slap;-)
I was sat in the house at 2pm reading Birds of Nepal.
Just got back from RGW,quiet to say the least.
tart-tick anyway.
too bloody rite slap
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