"Reporting Koels - Why?" A last word?

[<>]

I have just read and twice reread the recent debate on reporting koels in the online archives would like to comment that (as an outsider – I do not subscribe but read the archives) I believe that this shows some vocal Canberra birdwatchers in poor light.

 

I read the most recent reports first, so I was intrigued as to the nature of the scandalous email someone had written. This email supposedly condemned koel watchers as having nothing positive to report, then arguing to restrict what could and could not be written to the online forum and generally scaring beginner bird watchers from reporting their observations. I was surprised, then, to read the original offending email, which I found did not proscribe what topics could be written, nor was there any put down of beginners. On the contrary the email makes the point, which all the detractors appear to have missed, “I respect everyone’s right to report sightings and hearings”. If I may digress in 2005 when I was new to Canberra and bird watching, I met Alistair out at Kelly’s swamp and he came over, introduced himself and took the time and obviously great delight in showing me a Lewin’s Rail that he had found in crake island. Is this the behaviour of someone who denigrates beginners?

 

Maybe I have misread the resulting flood of emails, and for that I apologise, but for J. Robinson to take the high moral ground as the spokesman for the oppressed beginner bird watchers and to lead a stampede to condemn Alistair’s call for censorship appears to be mistaken, a move exacerbated by all those others who have cried “hear, hear” in emails to Canberra-birds. In this context, M. Frawley’s email of affirmation stating that this was an out pouring of ‘goodwill’ can only be described as an attack on the original author and is therefore spiteful, and stands to be condemned.

 

In conclusion, it pays to remember that this forum is read by many people all over Australia and the world where it is ‘syndicated’ on many other bird watching email lists. While the Canberra bird watching community has a reputation for its friendliness, this sort of behaviour grossly undermines that perception. We all know there is genuine goodwill in this community so don’t let this new perception become reality.

Please feel free to contact me offline. In the meantime happy birdwatching.

 

Best wishes

James Hunter