Hello Susan,

"To each his own." There's not a problem there. It seems
to me the main reason for the change from the term "bird
watching" to "birder" has been the sense of derision
attached to it in the past by some folks making fun of us
"bird watchers". So we don't use that term much anymore.
Actually, it doesn't bother me that much, having broad
shoulders, as they say. I can even enjoy the humor in it if
it's not carried to the extreme in a derogatory sense.

Edwin Lamb in Bellevue, WA
edsplace2 at comcast.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "camelama" <camelama at speakeasy.net>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Re: Birding History


>
> Please note I'm not arguing re: how Edwin sees himself.
> It's just ... to me,
> "bird watching" has always seemed such a 'static' phrase.
> Like all you do
> then is *watch*. No learning, no helping, no exploring,
> no working. Just
> static watch. To me, it has never seemed to include in
> the term, anything
> like ... bird banding. Working ecological sites (our
> loosestrife removal, for
> instance, or all the stream-bank work I've done). Working
> for legislation to
> protect birds and habitat. Educating others around you.
> Encouraging others
> to join in doing more than just watching.
>
> It's just a personal feeling, mind you - I'm not saying
> that's how EVERYONE
> sees it. It's just how I've always felt about the "bird
> watching" term. For
> me, "birding" covers all of the above activities. So it's
> not from any sense
> of superiority, or morality, or grammarality (!!) that I
> choose to use the
> term "birding".
>
> Anyone else ever get that feeling from "bird watcher"?
>
>
> Perhaps growing up in the 60's in Michigan, "bird
> watchers" were scary adults,
> and kids my age went "birding"? :)
>
>
> And if anyone is an English major here, I query: why is
> "I'm a birder" wrong,
> but "I'm a quilter" not? "I'm a knitter"? "I'm a brewer"?
> "I'm a gambler"?
> They're all a noun with an -er added to make it an active
> term... Ain't
> language grand?!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Susan Collicott
> Ballard, WA