I can't resist either...

You know what you've seen and what you haven't. The "list"
you're compiling is for you - not the rest of us. If you
know truly you've seen the bird, put on your list. It's only
you you have to answer to.

Peter Sullins

----- Original Message -----
From: Nene W <northwestmom at yahoo.com>
To: <siliqua at home.com>; <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 07:14 PM
Subject: Re: Dumb Question


>
> Sorry, I can't resist responding to this since a reply
> immediately leapt into my head upon reading it. And
> yes, the only dumb question IS the one not asked. I
> haven't met the person yet who knows ALL the answers.
>
> Anyway, my feeling on your question of how to account
> for things you saw before you happened to get an
> "official" life list into your hands is, "go for it."
> As long as, in your deepest innards, you feel that you
> know what you saw is what you think it is, go ahead.
> Some birds are not something you can confuse with
> anything else, in a particular region. After all,
> there are always those occasions when we don't happen
> to have our books or lists with us--I either make
> mental or written notes, and then look it up and mark
> it down later. Sometimes much later. I either feel
> sure about something or I don't. If I don't, whether
> it is 2 seconds after seeing it or 2 months later, I
> don't mark it down. I might make a note about it.
> I'm just an amateur but got my first bird book when I
> was 11 years old. So, Here's a hearty WELCOME TO BIRDING!
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