[Birdtalk] Apology

[Glen Warchol]

I had the good fortune to bird with David Sibley on Kennecott's  
reserve. We locals took a quick look at a prairie falcon, but David  
set up his spotter and studied it to make sure it wasn't something  
more wonderful. It was, indeed, a p.falcon, but Sibley explained  
locals tend to see what they expect, so he always looks harder.

On Mar 24, 2009, at 8:16 AM, Stephen Peterson wrote:

> I've never met an expert birder.
> And if there is such a person, it must be a mythical character
> I met Kenn Kaufman, and he told me that he doesn't consider
> himself an expert. He is as close to a so-called expert as you are  
> going to get too!
>
> Stephen
>
> > Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:46:17 -0700
> > From: bgsloan2 at yahoo.com
> > Subject: Re: [Birdtalk] Apology
> > To: birdtalk at utahbirds.org; pinkstring at xmission.com
> > CC:
> >
> >
> >
> > 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_______________________________________________
> >> Birdtalk mailing list
> >> Birdtalk at utahbirds.org
> >> http://utahbirds.org/mailman/listinfo/birdtalk
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Birdtalk mailing list
> > Birdtalk at utahbirds.org
> > http://utahbirds.org/mailman/listinfo/birdtalk
>
> Internet Explorer 8 – Now Available. Faster, safer, easier. Download  
> FREE now!_______________________________________________
> Birdtalk mailing list
> Birdtalk at utahbirds.org
> http://utahbirds.org/mailman/listinfo/birdtalk