Only read this if your head is spinning and you are going misty-eyed
from the gull story today.
This whole Internet thing still amazes me. Since I started Birding-Aus
about 8 years ago, I've seen this sort of thing quite a few times, but
I still find it quite novel and wonderful.
Vin saw an unusual gull on Saturday, took some digital photos, put them
on his website, and sent an email about it today. Within a few hours
we've had comments from some of the leading seabird experts in the
region - including Brent's record of similar observations in NZ,
complete with photographs! Many of us have looked at Vin's great
photos, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one to go hunting gull pics via
Google Image Search - I don't have any seabird books at work! By the
way, the latest comment was from Mike Carter, who thinks it was a 1st
winter Silver Gull.
The Internet is such an amazing communications tool, whether it's used
for good or for evil, or just for fun. Whatever, it's a pretty humbling
thing to have all these resources at one's fingertips. I'm writing
this note because I want to say "thanks" to all the contributors who
make this tiny component of the Internet so very useful - and so much
fun!
I guess the other thing I'm hinting at is that today we saw a mailing
list used the way it is supposed to be used - to get information around
quickly, to gather opinion, to share ideas - and all of it relevant
(except perhaps for this message!).
Thank you all, and keep up the great work!
Russell
Russell Woodford
Birding-Aus List Owner
http://www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/
Geelong Victoria Australia
38º 04' 09" S 144º 23' 53" E
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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