Birders, birding, bird watchers, whatever. It all started
for me when I was 14 and a Boy Scout. I earned the Bird
Study Merit badge. That really got me started with the bird
appreciation thing and I continue with it to this day, some
sixty years later. Bird study, bird appreciation, that more
properly describes what we do. I don't care what you call
it. I never thought of it as some sort of caste system or
society of the elite although some folks may consider
themselves so I suppose. I haven't come across many of that
ilk. Most of the folks I know who do it are some of the
most likeable, sociable and friendly people one would want
to know.

Ed Lamb In Bellevue, WA
edsplace2 at comcast.net



----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Patterson" <celata at pacifier.com>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 5:26 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Birding and language


> Gee, Craig I wasn't trying to put anybody down. I was
> trying
> to point out that there is a tendency among people who
> recreate
> by interacting with birds to make assumptions about who is
> and
> who is not a birders. In the late-60's early-70's the
> term was
> taken up by a fairly specific and narrowly focused group
> of folks
> to separate themselves from the stereotype of the day. I
> count
> myself among that group, though certainly not a mover and
> shaker.
> Folks who called themselves birders were elitist in the
> best and
> worst sense, but they changed the face of birdwatching by
> making
> teenage boys to go out and watch birds.
>
> The word itself now much more open to interpretation than
> it
> was 20 years ago. I happen to be someone who believes
> there are
> quite probably 46 million birders in America to today and
> that
> 46 million birders is a good thing. But by opening up the
> definition of what a birder is one must discard the
> expectation
> that all birders will fit that late-60's definition or any
> other
> definition (except maybe the broad USFWS definition:
> travel at
> least 1 mile from home with the expressed intention to
> look for
> birds or actively try to identify birds in your own
> neighborhood).
>
> There is a subcategory of birders who enjoy actively
> chasing birds
> and compare their list to other people's lists. God bless
> them.
> I only hope they are open minded enough to accept those
> who don't.
>
> There is a subcategory of birders, some of whom fall into
> the
> above category, some who don't, who enjoy studying and
> memorizing
> the subtle details of gull plumages, shorebird scapular
> patterns
> and empidonax tail flick behaviors. God bless them. I
> only hope
> they are open minded enough to accept those who don't.
>
> There is a subcategory of birders who see the whole
> bird-watching
> thing as a very funny phenomenon full of people who get
> the joke,
> miss the joke, take umbarage where none was meant, aren't
> interested
> in the joke, or would rather watch chickadees.
>
> If I left out your subcategory, please don't feel left
> out. God
> Bless you all, too. I'm counting on all of you to be open
> minded
> enough to recognize that I have to stop somewhere....
>
> Birding is a big tent, whether we're all comfortable with
> that or
> not. I love everybody, even on the days when I don't get
> the joke.
>
> --
> Mike Patterson
> Astoria, OR
> celata at pacifier.com
>
> SNOWY OWLS on the Lower Columbia - links to current
> information
> on the 2005 irruption event:
> http://home.pacifier.com/~neawanna/SNOW/SNOW20051120.html
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