An idea -

A public radio quiz show, with the title "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" which could morph onto a bird-rarity show. They will now be 'calling out' questions built around rare-bird names, sites, locations and amusing stories that go with each birdsite. Contestants who correctly "fill-in-the-blank", choose the right scenario, or select the right 'bird-in-the-bush' ID, will be offered the chance to be told of a newly-discovered rare or idolized bird and it's location, as their prize. There also will be a catch... agreeing to be told about the bird will cost you the amount of a site pass and you will HAVE to go to this site AND abide by all the ethics code rules. In addition you will either be accompanied by a site monitor or will have to wear a monitoring device that records your every move. The final option if you win, is to quickly cry out: "Wait, wait, DON'T TELL ME !" and you will then be free to go out on your own to enjoy the birds, without any of the encumbrances of responsibility that you'd have if you let the show host 'afflict' you with secret-site info....:-)

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I will leave any more details to Jeff Gibson or any of the rest of you who, under your serious birding cape, has a kernel of crazy humor in you. And I will suddenly turn serious again (though it's difficult), and give a few words to a couple of you who wove in your thoughts last night and this morning, into the Eide, Etc. thread. And after I post this, I will get started working on responses I promised a couple of you offlist 'first responders':

1. Yes - too many people is the genesis of many of these birding problems - face it, we're out-of-control...

2. Elitism - I was thinking more of the second type that one of you described: the real elitism is requiring that wildlife already under pressure continue to be disturbed so that one can personally maintain access to get a tick on a life list or a good photograph [for personal satisfaction, a better reputation or to make $]

3. I will add "discrimination" as both a negative and a positive force in our birding battles, but won't elaborate here - some aspects of this have previously come up in private conversations and on Tweeters years ago - new aspects and types of discrimination are showing themselves these days, particularly as they apply to the quickly-growing AARP-generation and its desire to participate in the bird-related recreational or income-earning experiences. More things to think about...

4. And, finally, I will proffer that the statement many of us come out with, which I feel to be not quite 'on', that "It's all about the birds and habitat'", doesn't quite get to the bottom line that I believe is there: These things which we say we are doing for the birds (and other wildlife), all hold things in them for us and our satisfaction and happiness - or we wouldn't want to do them, right? We are not quite as altruistic as we either think or say, which is OK, and "the way it is", and we need to acknowledge that. But promoting ourselves as only "for the birds" or only all about the habitat is not quite the whole truth and nothing but the truth... That's what I think...

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So, with the siskins zheeting, a reported Merlin 'pic'-cing, a Pileated knocking on wood, a flicker knocking on metal and the clouds building again, I will leave you all to your own nature afternoon.

Good living !


Barb Deihl
Matthews Beach Neighborhood - NE Seattle
barbdeihl at comcast.net