All right, it's time for my two cents on the issue. Everyone else has an
opinion
on this one, so time to express mine.
For all those who post every bit of information on what they see (high five
hawk
watchers) and even go so far as to list summary counts, weather of the day,
butterflies seen, and all the other miscellanea that keep you busy over the
hours - Thank you. Sometimes it is interesting, sometimes not, I can always
delete if I don't want it.
For all of those who post every bit of information on the bird - it's full
name,
it's scientific name, the Linnaeous taxonomy over the years, and all the other
details - thanks for taking the time to detail the information and I can always
skim the Latin parts I don't understand.
For those of you who post just the banding abbreviations that make me LOL about
my BFF who goes to see the AMWO in the spring with me (screaming OMG another
one!) and my 3LB - thank you for taking the brief amount of time to give me the
highlights and for making me go back to "the Google" to get smarter about
birding.
For those of you who post all the site information - thanks, I enjoyed seeing
the Roseatte Spoonbill and the White-Cheeked Pintail and the Olive-Sided
Flycatcher and all the other cool birds.
For those of you who post birds and list just where you & your buddies call it
-
thanks for getting me to e-mail you and discover new birding friends or again
go
to "the Google" to get smarter about Virginia. I love the obscure roads in
Northern Virginia, meeting at new Coffee shops, and all the other new places
I'm
lucky to go to.
In short, let's all quit being snarky. I would LOVE if everyone custom served
the postings to my personal preferences (only places I could easily drive to,
low traffic, cool birds / new birds, no extraneous junk, and just enough
information to tease me on), but that's not the purpose of this listserve. It's
to inform others of birds that the poster thinks is unique or interesting.
Let's
appreciate the uniqueness of the giver and not try to be custom fed to our
needs. Send a "thanks I like your listing of the birds" rather than a "please
serve me better". If someone lists all the details - thanks! Otherwise, get
ready for an e-mail polite, begging e-mail asking for more information<g>. I'd
love to meet you and see the birds!
Cheers and I hope to see you all soon staring at a bird that is impossible to
identify - that Plover in Staunton was perfect!
- Robert McLemore