Tweeters, alas, has more rudeness than one might reasonably expect,
especially when rookies log on with questions. Some few self-proclaimed
long-time birders really need to lighten up and think about who's on their
side and who is not. These days we need every vote we can get for all
kinds of reasons. I suspect that much of this comes from people who have
been in positions of some power and isolation - something that's quite
common in the San Juans, for example - but such braying nonsense just
drives people away and looks to the rest of us like a symptom as opposed to
something rational and worthy of anything more than a "shift-delete."

Jack Kintner kintner at nas.com Blaine, WA

At 04:52 PM 8/3/01 -0700, you wrote:
>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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