Greetings David
I'd hate to fall out with a fellow birder on so trivial a matter but I still
cannot see, or understand, the connection between the two [to me] separate
threads.
Chasing after rarities, especially new records, is in the realms of
TWITCHING; wildlife conservation [be it birds, reptiles or a elongated
creepy-crawly] is a Government initiative. The two rarely coincide.
Or are we to understand that if the likes of Mike Carter confirm the
presence of a Lesser-spotted Oompahloompah on the Cocos Keeling Islands the
Australian Government suddenly drops all other business in hand to assure
the wellbeing of the creature - [and I have a lot of admiration for both
Mike's ability and willingness to drop everything at a moment's notice and
shoot off to "find" or verify a rare sighting]?
The original question was, should these "exotics" be counted on an
Australian List? We have heard arguments as to why not. We have been privy
to reasons as why they should. I can't help but notice that both Britain
and the USA have Antarctic [and other] territories BUT you won't find a
penguin on the BOU list.
I find your uncited reference to British neglect of past territories equally
as puzzling. At one point in history almost half the known world [including
Australia] was a British territory. Which territories in particular did you
have in mind and how has the British Government been negligent in their
avifaunal welfare? How does this compare with the abysmal Australian record
on wildlife extinctions? And how is this related to whether or not a
handful of birders travel to these exotic outliers to "find" or confirm rare
birds?
If we follow the argument that in recording the "new" birds of, say,
Christmas Island, birders such as Mike Carter serve a worthy cause in the
bird's eventual welfare, how would you rate all the British birders who make
the annual October [passage] pilgrimage to the Scilly Isles to record
rarities from as far as the USA or even Siberia - always recalling that
these islands are actually closer to France than to Britain and were the
only British territory occupied by the Germans during WWII?
Or how would you rate my old birding partner from Penkridge [officially
designated as the largest village in England] who spends weeks of volunteer
time on Barsdsey Island? Or the likes of Colin Shields [Bradford,
Yorkshire] who is a continuous volunteer with American research stations
[and, of course, this was also a former British territory]?
We at least seem to agree that the bottom line in our pastime remains that
each to her/his own.
Personally I'd rather spend more time tracking down the Eastern Whipbird
which appeared on our property two days ago and seems, at least for the time
being, to be making itself at home.
Cheers
Julian
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