Number of birdwatchers in Australia

["Greg" <>]

Hi all,

When I first read this email I thought that this may be true for twitchers 
but not necessarily for other birdwatchers or scientific ornithologists. 
But then I thought further.  There are a number of British born people that 
I know through birding and when you look at the scientific community it also 
applies but with the addition of US born people.  Academics such as Hugh 
Ford and Iain Taylor are British while Walter Boles of the Australian Museum 
and Harry Recher are American born.  I am sure there are a number of others 
and I am also sure that there are a number of Australian born scientists as 
well.  But there certainly seems to be a noticeable influence of northern 
hemisphere birdos in Australia.
This phenomenon is probably due to the relatively recent European 
colonisation of Australia.  We are at an earlier stage of evolution than our 
northern hemisphere counterparts.  I am sue that it is easier now for a 
school child to be interested in birds than when I was at school in the 
1950's and 1960's.  I was considered extremely strange for having a passion 
for birds (and other wildlife) at a Catholic school that had the motto 'Esto 
Vir'  "be a man" and rugby league was the order of the day.   The fact that 
I broke my wrist (playing football) and hung up my boots didn't endear me to 
the other boys either.  I should say, however, that the teachers (De La 
Salle Brothers) were very supportive.
Greg Clancy