> Maybe we could start another thread on the subject "Why birding is not
> necessarily good for birds ?" or "What are birders going to do when there are
> no species left to list ?". Before everybody jumps down my throat, consider
> the point that the overwhelming sources of funding to bird conservation
> organisations in the UK comes from people who like birds but are not birders.
> I expect the same situation occurs here. All the money spent on telescopes,
> binoculars, field guides, clothing, cars, gasoline, fast food, roads.....

Yes, it does, which is one reason I like tweeters - this group seems to
blend recreational birding interests with concern for conservation, and
an eye towards rigorous biology.

Unusual, in my experience, in the birding community when considered as
a whole. So, here I am!

Those of us involved at Portland Audubnn - board members, conservation
activists - often make snide and not particularly kind jokes about
our birder brethren who, once a month, make use of our facilities
for Birder's Night but do little else for the society.

Having said that, I'll make it clear it's not universal within the
group - just present enough to raise hackles. I won't name names of
those who cause that reaction, but perhaps in fairness should mention
hard-core birders like Tom Love, who spent years on the Board and
does active conservation work in South America; Jim Johnson who
has done raptor survey work for Hawkwatch (and was one of those
who found Bonney Butte), and all those birders who lead Birdathon
field-trips (as opposed to those who refuse!).

OK - hopefully I've protected myself to some degree.

But, the truth is, there are a fair number of recreational birders
who don't care about conservation - and not from ignorance.


> Apart from Don Baccus, no non-scientist has contributed to this thread.

Hey, in my youth, I was considered a Computer Scientist by my academic
peers in programming-language land (though not employed by academia) :) :)

Though "computer science" is a totally silly phrase, since it ain't
science, but rather, as one well-known mathematician snootily put
it a few years ago, "an insignificant branch of discrete mathematics".

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>