Hello folks,
First, I should add that yesterday afternoon there was another CACKLING
GOOSE around - it was at the west end of shore in Stewart Park among a
group of migrant Canadas. It eventually flew off with a dozen or so other
birds to the south west around 1:45pm.
Other birds visible from Stewart included the Dunlin on the red light
house jetty, Gadwall, the adult LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, and a male Ruddy
Duck mixed in with the many Pie-billed Grebes.
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Second, some comments stemming from the "Only FOU sightings welcome?!"
post.
I'd encourage EVERYONE (as I think would Kevin?) to share whatever it is
they find worth sharing (rare or not) that is bird related. This is an
open forum used by the local birding community for many aspects of birding
and we need to encourage (not discourage) all members of that community
to be involved.
People on this list enjoy birds in many different ways: some find a great
deal of value in documenting "first of year" (FOY) sightings, documenting
rarities, investigating difficult IDs, and synthesizing the many
observations made by the region's birding community for the benefit of
that community.
I think most of us really appreciate these efforts. I have nothing but
thanks and appreciation for Dave and others who take the time to keep
track of such details, and make them available to the rest of us - good
work folks! :)
That said, it's also true that many of us aren't all that interested in
the more scientific or competitive aspects of birding. Fortunately,
there's plenty of room on the list for BOTH of these (and many other)
ways of enjoying birds ;)
So how does such a motley group manage to coexist? Here's a few ideas off
the top of my head (others should feel free to add or make corrections!):
1. Mutual respect - there's a huge diversity of folks on this list and
each of us needs to respect or at least be mindful of that fact.
Borrowing some of Alicia's own words, I personally DO have an interest in
who saw a particular bird first, or if it was the first or second or
whatever seen in the basin this year.
To promote a list that serves to "disseminate information about wild bird
sightings in and around the Finger Lakes Region in a timely manner" I
think that encouraging participation and open communication is a good
answer.
It's been said before but worth repeating: if you don't want to read a
post - feel free to hit delete :)
2. Reward good behavior - every now and then take a moment to let someone
know you like their contributions to the list. If you enjoy seeing full
trip lists, let it be known! If you do NOT enjoy seeing full trip lists,
remember to use your delete button instead of discouraging others.
If you must say or do something about those posts you find annoying or
otherwise unwanted, politely remind others to help make it easier for you
to use your delete button. Things like using informative subject lines can
go a long way in this regard.
3. Participate and encourage others to participate - If you just want to
hear about local bird species, help create an environment where folks post
about local species. If you want to know more about fall warbler idea,
feel free to start the conversation :)
Good birding all,
Paul
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