Well stated for many of us in the 600 range....Thanks

Larry

On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 6:11 PM, Scott Downes <downess at charter.net> wrote:

> Tweets,
> Wanted to respond to one thing Jim Greaves pointed out:
> "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). "
>
> While I agree that the habit of twitching for vagrants across the country
> can be energy intensive, I would point out that to get to 650 doesn't
> require "twitching" much at all. I stand currently at 600 species. I have
> lived in Oregon, Washington, New Mexico for less than a year and Alaska for
> about a year. I have NEVER been to the SE US, including Florida and have
> only briefly birded the Texas panhandle and nothing of the rest of that
> state. I have only taken pelagics out of the west coast, so no eastern
> pelagics on my life list. I have never driven more than a neighboring state
> to chase and obviously from having not birded much of Texas or SE US, 650
> for myself would be quite easy. Stating my lack of travels isn't to degrade
> myself, however it is to show how 600 alone can be reached quite easily, in
> fact 400 in Washington alone is a fairly attainable goal. It is also to show
> that I really don't focus on my life list, but do want memories of looking
> at seabirds on the Pribilofs, hummingbirds in SE Arizona, the amazing Gannet
> colonies in New Foundland etc.. Yes I got lifers, and eventually I'll get to
> Florida, not because I want to drive up my life list but because I want to
> see species I have never before had the pleasure of seeing in the natural
> habitat.
> So, I would take issue that to reach a 650 or even say 670 would take
> cross-country twitching. For those birders well over 700, then yes this
> comment made by Jim applies. To get near 700 only takes some vacation
> travels with the US and Canada and spending time in some areas. I wouldn't
> call week long birding vacations to places energy intensive, any more than
> what millions of other Americans do on their vacations. We just choose to go
> to National Wildlife Refuges and other places while the rest of America goes
> to Disneyland other popular places.
>
> Off my soap box now. Just wanted to add my two cents.
>
> Scott Downes
> downess at charter.net
> Yakima WA
>
>
>
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>


--
Larry D. Marsh
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