Hi - this has to do with recent discussions of ornithology vs.
birdwatching. Having participated in some of the recent "off-topic"
discussions, I was very surprised to find that some readers lumped in the
genetics discussion with the cats and female birders discussions as being
off-topic and/or boring and frustrated or turned off some readers. Being a
scientist myself, and knowing that this discussion group originated at the
UW, I was very surprised to find that genetics (and possibly other
science-oriented discussions on the list) were unwelcome to some readers.
To me, the science of bird appearance, behavior, migration, etc. is
integral to my enjoyment of the bird world, just as my knowledge of
crystallography and geology contributes to one of my other hobbies (mineral
collecting). On the other hand, I appreciate the aesthetics comments made
earlier, I can't imagine feeling that I had to count birds or keep track of
weather details, etc, on every bird outing. Most of the time I'm there
mainly to relax and enjoy myself, which I can't really do if I have to keep
track of and write down every last detail. I would rather *experience* the
moment most of the time (partly by carrying as little paraphernalia as
possible), and limit careful note-taking to planned excursions (for the
express purpose of contributing to CBCs or the breeding bird atlas, for
example). Which isn't to say that if I see something really unusual, I
wouldn't try to note it down and report it.

So I would be interested in knowing whether the group appreciates
bird-related postings of a mainly scientific nature, along with the more
observational postings of bird locations, trip lists, etc., which I also
appreciate. My enjoyment of the list is linked to both - I really like the
anecdotal, observational, and list-postings, but to me they would be
incomplete without the discussions of bird behavior and science (not to
mention *birder* behavior!). The only one that got a little off-track for
me was when the limericks degenerated into C++ topics!!

Teresa Michelsen
temi461 at ecy.wa.gov