Subject: Who could this be?
Date: Aug 3 16:52:44 2001
From: Michael Dossett - phainopepla at yahoo.com


Hi,

I agree with Kelly 100% on this one. I think that it
is a poor show of character to not welcome questions
from beginners on this forum. While the question may
not have been appropriate for a list like ID
Frontiers, I think that Margaret's questions in the
past have been more than reasonable for this list.

Not all of us are hardcore birders, and not all of us
are experts. In fact, we are ALL learning something
new everyday, and if we aren't then we aren't trying
hard enough or we aren't paying enough attention.
Beginners can contribute a great deal to our
understanding of birds and their lives (and many have)
and it is a shame if we were to dissuade them from
sharing their observations or asking for help just
because we can't be bothered by questions which seem
trivial or "below" us.

No matter what skill level we are at, our goals or our
reasons for being on this list should all be about the
same. In a nutshell, we are all trying to learn as
much about these birds as we can. Our motives for
doing so maybe different, but the birds are what is
really important here.

If anyone is interested, I have taken a look at
Margaret's bird. It is a hatch year starling,
probably from the first brood of the season becuase it
is beginning to molt and has the beginnings of adult
winter plumage on the flanks.

Respectfully,

Michael Dossett
Bothell, Washington
Phainopepla at yahoo.com


--- Kelly Cassidy <lostriver at completebbs.com> wrote:
> I'm disappointed that anyone on the tweeters list
> would rebuff a novice
> birder by telling them not to ask questions, even if
> the answers might be in
> a field guide. We were all beginners once.
>
> Next time the bird comes, see if you can get a good
> look at the shape of the
> beak and the length of the tail. Also, check out
> the field guide depiction
> of a female/juvie Red-winged Blackbird.
>
> Kelly Cassidy
> Pullman, WA
>
>


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