Tweeters,

I nominate Dennis Paulson for a second term as resident bird sighting
skeptic but all of us have to agree to pick up the slack wherever we can.
Unfortunately, it takes knowledge to be good at questioning the statements
of others and sometimes Dennis will be most qualified. That's O.K., he has
all of our support, right?

At 03:42 PM 9/13/96 -0700, Anna Coles wrote:

>What we all really need to do is to implant a little Bird-Sighting Skeptic
>in ourselves--when we think we see something great and highly unlikely,
>pause and let the Skeptic have her say (sort of like the little
>Angel-Goofy and Devil-Goofy in the old cartoons--was it Goofy?).

For me, the memorable "angel-devil" image comes from the movie Animal House
but it doesn't matter, this is good advice. Accurate identification of
species is the very important first step in beginning to understand them.
It is a critical first step. Most of us have a lot to learn and the
skepticism of others will help us learn because it will challenge us, send
us back to the books, and prompt us to observe with greater intensity and
take notes with a higher commitment to detail. Skepticism is good.

If you are going to give up anything, Dennis, perhaps you could cut back on
the puns.

Kelly McAllister