[mou] Part I: A Partial Critique of County Listing (behaviors of a minority)
Houghton, Timothy D.
tdhoughton@stcloudstate.edu
Tue, 6 Jan 2004 00:00:55 -0600
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Dear MOU Birders,
[whoops--I tired sending the whole note but it was too long, so I'll try =
2 or 3 parts--sorry!]
I don't intend, here, to critique the majority of County Listers =
(Clisters for short)=96just a certain element who cause many of us to =
smile and shake our heads, tho perhaps it has now reached the point =
where a stronger response would be appropriate. The extremists tend to =
be loud, competitive, and hierarchy-driven people, and we hear too much =
from them. Most of us are too polite to tell them to stop the nonsense. =
I think this needs to change. Again, I'm not talking about most =
Clisters. County Listing (Clisting) can be a productive activity. One =
can, for instance, get thoroughly acquainted with a specific region. =
Clisting, too, can add spice to birding=96in the same way that my weekly =
$5 bet with my brother-in-law adds some good tension to my watching and =
love of Monday Night Football. It's still football I love first=96not =
the money first. I'm sure that other fine benefits come from =
Clisting=96but the silly (maybe not so silly)zealots need to be =
confronted=96b/c it's NOT the birds they put first (tho, sadly sadly, =
they don't see this themselves).
Here's what we can do in various situations when we find ourselves =
confronted with some of the abuses that define the extremists (who make =
up, you might say, the "cult" element of Clisting.):
(1) If you find yourself birding with cultists who want to drag you away =
from a wonderful birding area in order to find an elusive house finch =
that one or more of them needs in a different part of the same county =
(or in a different county entirely), simply say "No." Because you are a =
nice and considerate person normally, willing to go along with people, =
they may be shocked, but you will have taught them an important lesson =
that they may actually learn from.
Similarly, if you find yourself in an active birding spot and an =
extremist wants to leave b/c every dang species has already been =
identified and it's time to rush out, you can simply say, "No, I want to =
stay and soak this up and really enjoy it. Look how wonderful this is." =
If this arouses contempt, ignore it. Oh, how they rush. I have =
witnessed certain Clisters get quickly bored in the presence of =
migrating songbirds after it's clear that they have seen all of them in =
that county=96and they are dreaming of the pigeon (i.e. a NUMBER not on =
their list!) that awaits them in a dreary corner of the neighboring =
town=96whoa! Or perhaps the tree swallow around the bend; never mind =
what else is going on=96never mind the 15 species of glorious beautiful =
warblers around them at the moment or the fact that a dozen tree =
swallows had been seen earlier that day in a DIFFERENT county.
[cont.}
Tim Houghton
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Dear MOU Birders,<BR>
<BR>
[whoops--I tired sending the whole note but it was too long, so I'll try =
2 or 3 parts--sorry!]<BR>
<BR>
I don't intend, here, to critique the majority of County Listers =
(Clisters for short)=96just a certain element who cause many of us to =
smile and shake our heads, tho perhaps it has now reached the point =
where a stronger response would be appropriate. The extremists tend to =
be loud, competitive, and hierarchy-driven people, and we hear too much =
from them. Most of us are too polite to tell them to stop the nonsense. =
I think this needs to change. Again, I'm not talking about most =
Clisters. County Listing (Clisting) can be a productive activity. One =
can, for instance, get thoroughly acquainted with a specific region. =
Clisting, too, can add spice to birding=96in the same way that my weekly =
$5 bet with my brother-in-law adds some good tension to my watching and =
love of Monday Night Football. It's still football I love first=96not =
the money first. I'm sure that other fine benefits come from =
Clisting=96but the silly (maybe not so silly)zealots need to be =
confronted=96b/c it's NOT the birds they put first (tho, sadly sadly, =
they don't see this themselves).<BR>
<BR>
Here's what we can do in various situations when we find ourselves =
confronted with some of the abuses that define the extremists (who make =
up, you might say, the "cult" element of Clisting.):<BR>
<BR>
(1) If you find yourself birding with cultists who want to drag you away =
from a wonderful birding area in order to find an elusive house finch =
that one or more of them needs in a different part of the same county =
(or in a different county entirely), simply say "No." Because =
you are a nice and considerate person normally, willing to go along with =
people, they may be shocked, but you will have taught them an important =
lesson that they may actually learn from.<BR>
<BR>
Similarly, if you find yourself in an active birding spot and an =
extremist wants to leave b/c every dang species has already been =
identified and it's time to rush out, you can simply say, "No, I =
want to stay and soak this up and really enjoy it. Look how wonderful =
this is." If this arouses contempt, ignore it. Oh, how they =
rush. I have witnessed certain Clisters get quickly bored in the =
presence of migrating songbirds after it's clear that they have seen all =
of them in that county=96and they are dreaming of the pigeon (i.e. a =
NUMBER not on their list!) that awaits them in a dreary corner of the =
neighboring town=96whoa! Or perhaps the tree swallow around the bend; =
never mind what else is going on=96never mind the 15 species of glorious =
beautiful warblers around them at the moment or the fact that a dozen =
tree swallows had been seen earlier that day in a DIFFERENT county.<BR>
<BR>
[cont.}<BR>
<BR>
Tim Houghton</FONT>
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