This very topic recently brought on the demise of bcvanbirds, a super list serve that covered the lower mainland of BC and Vancouver Island. There's a big hole now where all that great info used to be, and I miss it. The list serve owner had enough of the often harsh exchanges that were being thrown about which, in the end, served no real purpose at all.

I'd like to see Tweeters rise above this discussion, especially the way it's been going, and move forward. It's a dead-end issue if ever I saw one. If you encounter any individual in the field who ruffles your feathers, deal with them there and leave it there.

I take walks without binoculars and see great birds; sometimes I take big lenses, short lenses, binoculars, video cams, etc., and I'm still a helluva nice guy!

My two cents, FWIW,
Joe Meche
Bellingham