How DARE you assume that this title is about me!

Anyway, remember the tale of woe I told you about the Lesser Spotted Redface? Well, I have another tale about this very same bird watcher. Another tale of shame - not as bad as the last, but enough to snuff this hobby once and for all...

This aspiring bird spotter achieved a very important moment of fame, for one day she spotted a most unusual bird: a black crow with the most curious white beard! Yes, really.

She wasn't sure if she was just seeing a one-off peculiar bird, but after that day, she began to notice more of them. Black crows with very distinct fluffy white beards - white fluff on either cheek. Now sure that these unusual birds were easy to spot, she hurried to her Ornithologist Club and reported the new bird. There was great excitement. Other bird watchers came to see and were astonished at the crows which flew around - with unmistakeable beards. And the moment of glory was when the Secretary of the club also wanted to know more! This was a very great honour indeed.

Imagine you are this woman. Imagine the glory of being THE ONE to spot a never-seen-before bird. You are young and have less experience than other members, but it was YOU who spotted the bird first. People are looking at you like you just saw an angel with your very own eyes! Photos, articles, witness accounts are surely around the corner. Perhaps this species might even be named after you!

And as you're strolling along dreaming in your moment of glory, DO notice the very ordinary crows in the field nearby. These crows don't seem to have beards - yet! Suddenly, some of them take off - and as they launch into the air, they DO have beards! You see: this field is a SHEEP field, and as there are many tufts of wool in the grass, you suddenly realise that these beards are NOT beards at all! Just ordinary crows gathering wool for nesting materials.....

So, fully aware that you've told just about everybody about the amazing new bird species you discovered, you go into hiding for several YEARS and are never seen at the Ornithologist Club ever again. Another R.I.P. hobby.