>From Russell Rogers, Seattle Washington, rrogers at halcyon.com

I would like to speak in defense of Neil. I have lead many field trips
for SAS and other groups as a volunteer. I have also lead many tours as a
paid professional. In both instances, I have lead the groups into areas
that I have never been and seen birds that I have never seen. SO WHAT!
Also, if you think that all tour leaders for the top tour companies like
Vent and Wings have visited every stop on a tour, you are mistaken.

I have never just wondered off into the woods with out doing my home work
first. Doing your home work dose not mean that you have to visit every
spot before hand. Most of the time, it means doing just what Neil is
doing, talking to people, asking for advice, checking the maps, and so
on. I gave Neil some dircetions to some places that the Quail have been
seen. I would say that it would be a waste of Neils time to go to these
places before hand. There would be absolutely nothing to gain in doing
so. If he saw the quail in a particular spot on a scouting trip, there is
not guarantee that you sould see them in the same spot twice. The
locations are not hard to gt to. If you can read a map, that would be
good enough.

There is a general lack of appreicetion for SAS field trip leaders. In
many cases, the level of stress that the participants put on the field
trip leader is about the same as the tours that I lead where I am getting
paid. After about 20 or so field trips, I began to ask my self why I was
doing it. In fact, I would say, and you probably don't want to hear this,
the most difficult part of being a trip leader, is not the birds, not the
locations, not even a flat tire, but a difficult and cantankerous
participant. It only takes one, to make a trip not fun for everyone.

If volunteer field trip leaders get to much flack, they will all decide
that it is much easier and much more fun to just to go birding with a friend.

Russell