Wow! Thanks, Stuart and Jon for your detailed responses to my and Ted's
questions on banding. I really appreciate your taking the time to write
about something you know a lot about.

>The emphasis on Attu is another example. Attu is important for listing,
>it is not important for North American ornithology - no matter how many
>first occurance records are established there. Now with people reaching
>the 700-club without ever going to Attu, Attu won't even be important for
>listing.

Now, on this listing thing, I'll show my listing ignorance yet again when I
ask, just WHAT is the 700-club? I assume you don't mean a religious
organization. Is this an implication that if you really try, you can see
700 birds on the North American continent? And how many avid (read any
other adjectives you like into that) birders have reached these exalted
plateaus?? Just curious...

Teresa Michelsen
temi461 at ecy.wa.gov