Hello Guy, tweets,

As someone who has become more hesitant to post in the past few months, I do agree with most of your post.There are some things which make me respectfully disagree though. And that comes with "loving birds to death".

Last fall, Gene Hunn posted on a Saturday football afternoon about a Tropical Kingbird he had seen at the Union Bay Natural Area (aka UBNA or the Montlake Fill). I went out early on the following Sunday morning to see if I could find the bird, yet I soon left upset about the fact that some 20-25 birders were all wandering everywhere trying to locate the bird. Let me finish. UBNA is a very small location in comparison to say Marymoor or Nisqually. There is only one main trail around UBNA, and a few social trails which are mostly used by birders only. Well, when everyone of those social trails has people walking around, and the main trail has birders every hundred meters or so, that is way too many people, and that bird was never seen again, with what I call good reason. With all those people everywhere, there was no place left for the bird in question, or for many other birds that day either.

After that day, I have been reasonably happy that no rarity has shown up on my watch, because I would be hesitant to tell the whole board about it for the reasons above. And for that bird in particular, Tropical Kingbirds have been seen over in Marymoor a couple of times in the past couple of years, so it really wasn't that rare, at least not enough for that many folks to descend on UBNA.

I am not a bird chaser because I do not wish to be one of "those people" who drive hundreds of miles to see one single individual bird. Sounds like a massive waste of time, gas and money to me, resources I personally do not have to waste. That said, there are many respected birders in our community who have no qualms in doing so, and that is their right. But when the hoards start showing up at my favorite spot like that? I think I would feel better alerting a few birder friends first (Connie Sidles, Denis DeSilvis or Matt Bartels come to mind), before I put something like that out to the whole tweeters community. These are folks I trust to help verify an ID. If it is then noted to be a true rarity, I could see it getting posted to the whole community. It would just be difficult (for me) to alert everyone prior to verification.

Please note that this is not a slam on tweeters. It is not a slam on anyone in particular, just a different view on an issue that is becoming more and more of an issue as more and more people take up birding. Those of us who have been birding for a few years have a tendency to take birding in a different manner than others, espcially out "home" birding spots. After having done quite a bit of research at UBNA, and having birded there probably 400 times in the past 5-8 years, I feel a sense of ownership there, as I am sure others do at their favorite local spots. I would hate to feel that it was my call about a rare bird that caused dozens of people to descend on UBNA in a single day. Now if it was, as Guy proposed, a rare bird at Marymoor, a few dozen extra birders one day isn't likely to overburden the site. At UBNA, they would - it's too tiny. So thinking about where you are has something to do with my reasons for feeling the way I do on this subject.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my differing viewpoint. I know I ain't Mr. Popularity around here, but I still have an opinion, and this is one time when it seemed a good idea to voice it. Take care and enjoy the great weather!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com

Guy McWethy <lguy_mcw at yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Tweets,
Keith Brady mentioned that some folks are hesitant to
report possible rare birds, because they may stir a
"Controversy".
I say, Just Do It!

As most birders on this list will admit, we ALL have
mis-identified birds on many occasions, and I plan on
doing much more in the future. (and those of you who
Don't admit to being wrong are just fooling
yourselves, not the rest of us! ;)

I honestly believe, that if anyone on this list sees a
bird that even MIGHT be a rarity, it should be
reported immediately, with your best guess as to its
identity. This goes for local rarities as well. If I
see what I believe is a White-Winged Crossbill at
Marymoor Park, I would report it.
Now, if I don't get a real definitive look, and no one
else ever sees a WW Crossbill, I would probably talk
myself out of 'counting' it. But if I got a good
look, I will stick by my ID. And if it can be
confirmed, I think it is great. Because I have
helped others find and see a great local rarity. But
if I do not report it, then it can never get confirmed
and I will just be left wondering.
And if someone sees and reports a Leucistic Red
Crossbill, or some other bird that fits my description
but is not a WW Crossbill, then I will happily admit
that I messed up the ID (well, maybe not Happily).
I think it is great when a learning birder asks for
help ID'ing a bird. It is WAY to easy for us to sit
back, and just guess about an ID. It is always
tougher to ask for help, so I applaud anyone who has
the courage to ask, and be willing to learn.
And if I mess up an ID, I always take it as a learning
experience, and try not to make the same mistake a
second time.
On the other hand, if an 'expert' tries to talk me out
of an ID, and I saw details that do not fit, I try not
to let them talk me around. Stick to what you know
you saw. You saw it, they did not. But if you did
not see a critical feature, fess up and admit it.
That just means that the next time you try that ID,
you will KNOW what to look for ;)

I've heard too many stories about a local birder in
whom I have confidence about their abilities, who has
NOT reported a good local bird, or allowed themselves
to be shot down by a local 'expert'. It bothers the
'heck' out of me.

Birds are mobile, and can show up in the ODDEST
locations at times. If a Smith's Longspur in Marymoor
Park will not convince you, let me share a story about
finding a Sora on a bare concrete, dark corner of Fort
Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, about 100 miles from
the nearest body of fresh water...

So report your odd birds in odd places, and stick to
what you saw. But do NOT stick to what you did NOT
see, and be prepared to admit that you could be
mistaken, and that you did not note enough details to
be sure of the species. And LEARN ....

Nuff said. Apologies for the ramble ...
Guy

Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com


____________________________________________________________________________________
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters



---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.