jennifer833•1mo agoMost Upvoted

My cousin Dave tried to show me a 'star' through his telescope in his Chicago backyard last summer.

He was so excited, but after 20 minutes of fiddling, I realized he was pointing at a streetlight on the next block. He just kept saying, 'Wow, it's so bright and steady!' I had to gently break the news. Anyone else have a friend who got super confident about a wrong ID?

4 comments

4 Comments

victor7791mo ago

Oh man, I used to be that guy with birds. I was sure every hawk was an eagle until a friend showed me a picture. Now I just say I'm not sure, it's way less embarrassing.

robin62822d ago

I started carrying a little field guide in my glove box after I kept mixing up red-tailed hawks and turkey vultures myself. Now I just pull over and flip through it before I say anything, saves me a lot of grief.

hollyl251mo ago

I once argued with a park ranger that a turkey vulture was a bald eagle. He was very kind about it.

bennett.evan1mo ago

My bird book says turkey vultures hold their wings in a shallow V shape when they fly. Bald eagles keep theirs flat like a board. The ranger probably noticed the vulture's wobbly flight too. Eagles look more steady up there. It's cool they took the time to explain instead of just saying you were wrong.