Greetings All-

The topic of reporting and questioning on listservs is as old as listservs
themselves.

When I read the Wsetern Sand report, I personally felt that I just didn't
have the energy to comment, and I must say that I applaud Dennis for doing
so. First, and importantly, I felt that Dennis was trying to be gentle about
questioning the Western Sand (and the even more unlikely House Wren) report.
Unfortunately, there is truly no way to do this that feels good to the
observer. Yes, for the observer's benefit, a private email to that observer
would have likely sufficed and been beneficial. HOWEVER, that would not have
corrected the misinformation to the group as a whole. And misinformation has,
at times, been a significant problem on Tweeters, and much of it goes
unchallenged. And after going unchallenged, some of these "facts" risk being
ingrained in the local birding lore, even though they are wholly fallacious.
This last point was a significant part of Dennis' message, and one that
should not be ignored.

When one reports birds to an open and public forum, one must expect a certain
level of scrutiny. I would hope that such review would be polite (as I feel
Dennis was). Being questioned doesn't mean that you're a dope or a bad
person; rather the inquiries are merely an attempt to learn and establish
facts as best as we can. Indeed, some who were critical of Dennis also said
they learned from the resulting discussion. You can't have it both ways.

I feel a bit youthful to be crotchety, but I do somewhat pine for the old
days when beginning birders (of any age) typically had a mentor. Charlie
Clark, Larry Balch, and Pat Ware served me well during my youth in Chicago,
correcting my mistakes and, in the process, teaching me much. The experience
was, of course, much more private than the process of putting one's sightings
over the net. I would not discourage beginners from posting their sightings,
but when reporting something that is odd, expect some questions. And more
importantly, if you have any questions, ask them. Better yet, if you are
starting out in this hobby, also hook up with someone with more experience
and learn directly from them.

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA
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