| One of the thrills of bird watching is the discovery | | | | provides a wealth of photographic information to |
| of a species you have never seen before. In the | | | | bird watchers. Photographs that would add up to |
| past, a bird watcher often had to wait for a long | | | | literally mountains of books could quickly be |
| time to get help in identifying a bird that he or she | | | | searched, organized, and selected for viewing |
| may not have recognized. Programs, like the one | | | | online. The convenience is immeasurable. The |
| at Cornell University ( allowed those who bird | | | | ability to get information quickly and accurately |
| watch to submit photographs and descriptions of | | | | makes the research process an enjoyable one for |
| things that they had seen. The experts and | | | | most bird watchers. |
| researchers at the university would then help | | | | One of the features that bird watchers who are |
| them identify the bird. The internet however, has | | | | internet savvy might find of particular interest is |
| eliminated the hassle of waiting for the mail. This | | | | the communities that exist on the bulletin boards |
| information is available instantaneously online. | | | | of websites catering to bird watching. These |
| The ability to come home from a day in the fields | | | | forums allow users to start, and participate in, |
| of Belize watching birds, or even after bird | | | | conversations concerning a wide variety of topics |
| watching in Costa Rica, and to sit down in front of | | | | that relate to birding. Some conversations, called |
| a computer has given birth to a completely new | | | | threads, are global in their scope and may include |
| realm of resources. Bird watchers can visit sites | | | | broad topics like equipment, which are not |
| such as and to access information about what | | | | geographically specific. Other threads may be |
| they have seen through their binoculars while bird | | | | very geographically specific and give local bird |
| watching that day. There are several benefits to | | | | watchers a place to share individual information |
| websites like these and the photographic | | | | about sightings and numbers in special locations |
| resources available on the web. | | | | that probably are not of interest to someone |
| Aside from written descriptions, the internet | | | | outside of that region. |