How will birdwatching be 10 years from now?

The first intro posts in this series produced a stir among some birders. How can an experienced birder say that you don’t need binoculars and a field guide to start birding?  Testimonials in the comment section of this blog have however proved this assertion is correct. Many new birders  actually did start with a camera and are lurking on the internet to try to ID the photographs taken before they bought their first binoculars or field guide.

This seems to the trend today. People get into birds via a point and shoot camera and get most information they need from the internet.

You are invited to a Google Hangout, which is like a webinar where we will discuss how birdwatching will be 10 years from now?

Birding 101 Google Hangout #1

Birding 101 contributors Gunnar Engblom  and +Robert Mortensen and a number of others to be confirmed will give their views. Join us for an interesting live chat.
The discussion will be aired live at 3PM EST on Gunnar’s Google+, Youtube channel and on both Gunnar’s personal blog as well right here.

You shall see an embedded video below. If you join at exactly 3 pm EST on Friday Jan 18 it will be LIVE.

UPDATE: This is the edited recorded session between Robert Mortensen and Gunnar Engblom. Unfortunately, Gunnar’s laptop overheated again and the session was broken pre-maturely.

The last question which Robert started answering. Should the membership organizations, such as the ABA actively try to recruit from the new huge group of people who got into birds via digital photography, or should they remain as an organization principally geared towards those who are interested in the fine (somewhat “intellectual”) art of bird identification?

Comments below, please!

Next Google Hangout will take place on Thursday at 8 pm Eastern time. Join us, then.

Top photo: Kids on Fence. Richard Crossley. Used with permission. www.Crossleybooks.com