Alan,
If you read my message a little more carefully too, you may note that I
wasn't referring to all birders. Also I don't consider that a 'birder'
is necessarily a 'twitcher'.
On last night's Lateline programme someone remarked that there was a
difference between taking sport seriously and being obsessed (consider
those New Zealanders so badly affected by the All Blacks loss they were
accepting grief counselling). Same with birding and a whole lot of other
things. Such people can ruin trips for fellow birders, and in my 15
years of guiding I've had a few experiences in this quarter. I know of
one man who questioned the integrity of locals when he couldn't find a
locally common bird. He'd simply come at the wrong time of year, but no
one could tell him. If he ever returns to that small town he won't be
made welcome! Then there were the birders American friends told me
about earlier this year, convicted of bringing exotic birds into the USA
to release and then tick as a new US species. If by disliking such
behaviour I'm being 'holier than thou' then so be it.
Denise Goodfellow
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