"Life List" is an interesting book to read, but not sure it is movie
worthy. One very admirable quality that I took away from the book is how
someone gets diagnosed with cancer in her mid-30's and finds a new passion
to drive her. I think she got started with a Blackburnian warbler seen at
~38....in her neighbor's backyard.

Another admirable trait that Phoebe had was: she was prepared and did "her
homework". She studied the species that she might be able to see in all the
places she visited. She knew more about the birds then some of her guides!

What she did not plan on was being a cancer survivor for so long and then
she gets caught up in the numbers game...well, let's see if I can get to
5000 birds...then 6000 birds....oh why not try for 7000....well if I got
this far might as well try for 8000...oh what the heck....lets shoot for
9000, etc. In the process, she loses herself and her family ties. She gets
addicted to seeking out numbers. A trip to some far off place, if she
dipped on her list of "needed" species, then she considered the trip a
total waste of time!

What she had in her favor was an unlimited amount of inherited money to be
able to do maybe 4 international trips/year. Unlike most of us! But I doubt
if there is anyone on this list serve that has not spent some kind of
"environmental degradation" (i.e. most likely in the form of burning fossil
fuels) in their search for birds. I have always thought it ironic, that
some people who participate in Bird-a-thons (myself included) for benefits,
may spend more money in gas then in money they raised. (yes I know...many
have done bird-a-thons by bicycle or bus.....very praiseworthy).

Jim Greaves addressed this issue with regards people that are using up
their carbon credits for the sake of adding species to their life lists.
Maybe so. But as Scott Downes mentioned, people take vacations, whether it
be to Disney Land or Vegas or to Ecuador! Whether I am on a plane to Quito
or not, does not really mean much. The planes fly daily from Houston with
or without me.

Forgive me for all this rambling from point to point...................

We are all guilty Jim! I guess the environment is lucky that the
Ivory-billed woodpecker is most likely extinct! Can you imagine the
thousands that would descend on Arkansas in search of.........?

Eric Kowalczyk
Seattle


> [Original Message]
> From: Jim Greaves <lbviman at blackfoot.net>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Date: 2/3/2010 12:34:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] "Life List" / Caryn - Wedgwood
>
> Well, as an avid "birder" and bird photographer, with 35 years'
> experience (ONLY in the "lower 40", and mostly in 4 states), but
> barely 500 life birds, I'd have to say that "obsessing" on life lists
> is EXTREMELY costly in terms of environmental degradation alone, as
> many "super-birders" expend HUGE amounts of fossil fuels to find a
> "twitch", often "dipping" in the process; only a few dozen (a hundred
> perhaps?) US citizens have surpassed 650 species in North America in
> the process, and I'd wager most of them chase every rarity they can
> (not even pursuing life lists, but rather regional or state lists).
> Ironic, to say the least, since so many of these same people claim to
> abhor pollution and other things that adversely impact wildlife and
> wildlife habitats, while simultaneously taking every opportunity to
> denigrate those who are not so "obsessed" with wildlife as to think
> they have "rights"... There was a time when I suppose it might have
> been justified - for instance, when it was finally "proven" in the
> 1960's or 1970's that most North American warblers (and indeed a host
> of other unexpected migrants) actually DID pass through California at
> some time or other. But, today, with all the self-righteously
> expressed anti-pollution hype against those who DON'T participate in
> "things environmental", it seems a bit hypocritical of those "some"
> to be so obsessively selfish. And, just so no one will flame me since
> I HAVE chased a few dozen birds in my life [successful maybe 75% of
> the time], my "life list of birds NOT seen" includes dozens that were
> within half an hour drive of my home at the time they were present
> (some for months), or were seen on pelagic treks I could neither
> afford to make, nor thought I'd enjoy due to motion of the waves on
> my equilibrium (sea-sickness - even with pills - still is not fun).
> Anyway, I am in no way trying to denigrate those who DO chase birds,
> and value the information and data they DO generate, but still think
> that an awful lot of "waste" is involved. Respectfully, Jim Greaves,
Montana
>
> >Subject: [Tweeters] "Life List" / Caryn - Wedgwood
> >Hello Tweeters -
> >
> >If you haven't already heard of or read "Life List" by Olivia Gentile, I
> >highly recommend this book. If you're a backyard birder or world
traveler,
> >this book will satisfy your yearning to do more birding whevever it is.
> >
> >The story of Phobe Snetsinger's life and obsessive birding (what's that?)
> >is just phenomenal to say the least. I only hope they make this into a
> >movie. Wouldn't that be fun to film this one?
> >
> >Please post your comments.
> >
> >Caryn / Wedgwood Birder
>
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