Greg Pelletier wrote:

> On 10/21/98, Joyce Meyer wrote: "Even while twitching, s/he is a birder who
> is birding..."

We are "birdwatchers" and have been "birding" for almost a year now. We are also
"listers" and have "listed" the birds we have seen; some of them by "twitching",
so I guess we are also "twitchers". I have found that it is hard to keep the
bins. steady if I am "birding and "twitching" at the same time, it makes the
bird all blurrryy.

For some unknown reason I suggested to Sandy that we try to get 300 birds by the
end of our first year. We have 14 "lifers" to go and two months left.

Since "I" set this goal, I am under tremendous self induced pressure. I don't
know if I can handle it--sob--sob. Being the hardcore "lister" "birders" that we
are, we will continue "birding" for "birds" by "twitching" or not "twitching"
until midnight the 31st of Dec. 1998. Got to get those last 14 to add to our
"list" of "lifers". Of course we will cont. next year. Whew!

> So we need a new word for wildlife watchers. "Birdwatching" is too namby
> pamby and doesn't describe the act of hiking, scrambling, and outdoor
> survival required to get to the "watching" part. Anybody got any ideas?

How about--Hello my name is______ and I am a Amateur Field Ornithologist. You
could leave out the amateur if you so chose. When the person says--huh?? You can
tell them exactly what you do.

Jerry Converse
Grand Coulee, WA