I thought the original post would result in a flame war. I'm pleased
to see the civility and respect of the discussion.

I don't think we're on different pages in this discussion. Here's my
personal perspective.

I am a bird photographer. Given the opportunity (a day off from work,
and more-or-less dry weather), I can easily spend six hours or more
watching and photographing birds. I have frequently spent an hour or
longer watching a single bird from my kayak, learning its behavior
and timing my shots accordingly. On group outings, I am the one
forever falling behind the group.

As a child I spent most of my play time in the woods. That's still
where I feel most at peace. As an adult, and a somewhat ADD one at
that, I find the camera quiets my inner conversation and keeps me
focused on what's "out there." For me, photographing birds is a
source of calm, wonderment, and connection to nature.

When I'm in the field, I'm aware of what makes a good photo, yet I
never know when the right moment will present itself. I know that if
I get a good shot, there'll be some egotistical payoff. But my "job"
is to stay focused on the bird. When I do get a good shot, sharing it
goes beyond ego: there is a deeper pleasure in saying "look what I
saw," and in finding that other people are moved by the image.

I would not do it if I felt I were unduly harming the birds. But, to
be honest, in my desire to get a beautiful photograph I sometimes
cross the comfort line for my subject. I am trying to refine the
practice that many nature photographers embrace: to get the shot and
back off without ever disturbing the subject.

Why am I saying all this? I think it's important for us to understand
one another's experiences, motives, and goals, and to recognize a
commonality among most or all of us Tweets, which is our shared love
of birds. We can acknowlege the importance of protecting birds and
their environment, and discuss the conservation value of our pursuit,
but that does not discount the simple, pure joy one feels when
observing these creatures. That in itself is sufficient reason for what we do.

Marc Hoffman
Kirkland, WA
Tweeters "at" dartfrogmedia "dot" com

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> Am I the only one who wants to puke whenever a brigade of
"birders" show up with a bunch of $2000 cameras with big honkin'-ass lenses?

> Aren't we birdWATCHERS first and foremost? Shouldn't we leave the
picturing to the the likes of National Geographic? I just want to
chase down a rare bird for once and find people with BINOCULARS ONLY.