Dear Tweeters,

To illustrate an unfortunately all to common occurring situation, we would
like to relate the following:

When my husband and I were living in Malawi, Africa we were going birding
with a group of seasoned birders. We got to the designated meeting location
before most of the others and were watching a group of swallows with some
swifts mixed in. We noticed one that was different than the others and began
to focus on it. We finally came up with an identification of one that was
not supposed to be in the area. We had learned that there are times that
this does happen so continued to watch the bird which only increased our
conviction that we were right. When another birder showed up we told him
about the bird. His response was "No it couldn't be." So we said," then
what is it?" He was able to spot the bird and watched it for quite some
time. He also decided that we were right.

When the leader of the group came ( who was THE expert) the birder that we
had been talking with told him we had this certain swift in the birds flying
over our heads. His response was an emphatic "NO, it can't be.They are not
in this area." Others that had arrived before him said he should take a look
but he didn't want to be bothered and insisted that it wasn't the swift that
we thought. Finally the first man said quietly to the expert birder that he
should really take a look at the bird because it was not the same as the
others.That it might be worth figuring out what it was. With reluctance he
finally looked. Then HE got excited as well, for it was the swift we had
thought it was.


We have learned that there is always a possibility that a bird can be where
it is not usually found at any time of the year. What about the YELLOW
THROATED WARBLER that was up in the Twisp area, along with numerous others I
could speak of? One such is that in Michigan right now there is a
BLACK-THROATED GREY WARBLER that doesn't belong there either. It has been
at someone's feeder for the past several months and hundreds of birders have
gone there to see it. Birds, like the weather, don't always listen to us
humans about what they are supposed to be doing. All unusual reports
irrespective of their source, deserve nonjudgmental and nonbiased
evaluation in the field if possible.

Sue and John Rogers
College Place,WA
mailto:johrog at bmi.net