Joe Morlan wrote: "Given this information [about the scrutiny of vagrant
Cardinals], an observer in California wants to do much more than just check
a box."

Ahhh, Joe, perhaps you missed my point, as all of us probably miss each
others' points regularly.

I agree entirely that some observers view a rare bird in a very rarefied
manner, just as you described. I will just as firmly maintain that the
majority of people who drive across states to look at rare birds don't in
fact do so. I have been in the birder milieu for years, and what I hear
again and again is that people have gone to tick off a rare bird, enjoyed
the experience greatly, but didn't do any of the things you talked about
with your Cardinal. Probably the most common scenario is that one or two
of the region's "experts" do the sorts of things that you mentioned, and
the great majority of the people who see the bird just assume the "experts"
know what they are talking about and will come to these kinds of
conclusions; critical assessment is lacking. This is why, of course, the
birding world is full of stories about people who "saw" a stakeout bird
days after it disappeared from a site.

Of the dozens and dozens of people who have seen a stakeout, we get a
couple of written descriptions and photos from one or two individuals for
our bird record committee. If this isn't the case in your state,
California is more different from Washington than I even thought (which is
certainly a possibility).

Now, I will admit that for many of the people who see these stakeouts (and
rely on the experts), such rarities are probably life birds or at least
something unusual in their experience, so they get that experience, while
the expert who has seen zillions of the species may glean something
important from it. Nevertheless, I still say that your scenario is very
much a "best-case" scenario, while the "average-case" scenario is more like
I described and belongs much more in the realm of sport/recreation than
ornithology.

I know, I know, what's wrong with sport/recreation? Nothing, I
guess.....but there must be something discordant about it to the hard-core
cadre of us who wish there was less emphasis on sport birding. I try
really diligently to be tolerant of the viewpoints of others, and sometimes
I'm not really sure why this particular phenomenon bothers me as much as it
does. I suppose to a nature worshiper like me there's probably something
sacrilegious about turning nature into sport.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416