[Birdtalk] Apology

[B.G. Sloan]

Pomera,

I don't think you need to apologize.

I know from personal experience what it's like to have an expert seemingly dismiss a possible sighting. It's happened to me numerous times in my 45 years of birding.

Personally, I don't mind knowing that some knowledgeable person may be looking over my shoulder when I post an early/late/rare sighting to an e-mail list. It tends to keep me on my toes knowing that I need to take detailed field notes in case my report is challenged. But the experts also need to be flexible and admit that they aren't infallible.

I'm reminded of a short Kenn Kaufman essay in the birding anthology "Good Birders Don't Wear White" (Lisa White, editor, Houghton Mifflin, 2007). Kaufman's essay is titled "Question Authority", and the subtitle of his essay pokes fun at the book's title. Kaufman’s subtitle reads: "Good Birders Sometimes Wear White".  :-)

Anyway, the following quote pretty much summarizes Kaufman's essay:

"Good birders will always question the dictates of the experts, and with good reason: even the top experts are sometimes wrong...Question what you read and what you are told. Even if your investigation only proves that the experts were right about some fact, you'll have the pleasure of knowing that fact, really knowing it, from your own experience."

Bernie Sloan


--- On Tue, 3/24/09, Pomera Fronce <pinkstring at xmission.com> wrote:

> From: Pomera Fronce <pinkstring at xmission.com>
> Subject: [Birdtalk] Apology
> To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org
> Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 12:14 AM
> Birding Friends -
> 
> Glenda's message brought me to my senses a bit.  I
> allowed my emotional response to this issue cloud my
> judgement.  This listserv should not be used for airing
> personal grievances and I sincerely apologize for doing so. 
> 
> 
> Regards -
> 
> Pomera_______________________________________________
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