I'm sure this subject is going to be thoroughly thrashed, but I can't resist.

Teresa Michelsen wrote:
Is this just a case of competitive listing, or is there more to it than that?

and Tom Foote wrote:
yeah, I think so.

I'm not sure what you're agreeing to, Tom. But as for competition, well,
I've never asked anyone how big their life list is, and the only person who
has ever asked me is my wife, and she's a botanist, not a birder. So where
is the competition? Maybe I'm just not hanging out with the "right" people.
:)

I certainly enjoy watching the local birds, there is a great deal of
pleasure in that. But what's that old saying? Variety is the spice of life?
I'm always interested in seeing something new, too. If something shows up
that I can go see in a day, I'm going to try to go...

Rob Saecker
Olympia