Tweeters all,

I remember the Dusky Thrush and the ensuing hullabaloo (for lack of a better
word). We heard about it while, coincidentally, observing a Brambling on the
Lummi Flats, northwest of Bellingham. We left the flats and drove north toward
Langley, BC, and into the teeth of a blizzard! By the time we reached Blaine,
it was a full-blown whiteout. We followed precise directions and by the time
we reached the correct address and viewed the Dusky one, there was a foot of
snow covering the ground! 4WD rules!

That Siberian visitor was at or near the same location for some time, and
from what I've gleaned from BC acquaintances, the property owners "vowed" that
they would "never let this happen again." Apparently, from first-, second-, and
third-hand accounts, some birders (from as far away as Nova Scotia) ignored
all birdwatching ethics and common courtesies and "trashed and trampled" the
property owners' yard in pursuit of this bird. I've had occasion to use the
phrase, "Dusky Thrush Syndrome," whenever people wondered whether or not they
should alert others as to a rare bird that might be on their property.
The location of the Great Gray Owl in Whatcom County the past three winters
remains a secret because of....the Dusky Thrush Syndrome.

Of course, no one who subscribes to Tweeters would be guilty of this kind of
aberrant behavior, but it's those "other guys" we have to keep an eye on.

Cheers, for the remaining winter birding months,
Joe Meche
Editor, the Avalanche / Birding Programs Coordinator
North Cascades Audubon
Bellingham, WA