Last Sunday, a posting that I thought I was providing purely for entertainment, hit a nerve with several people. Unfortunately it created some negativity. Fortunately, over thirty prominent old school birders, and some new up and coming birders, sent me personal messages reinforcing the fact that there are plenty of birders out there, that do sincerely care about what goes on in the field. There were reports from the Northern Wheatear site yesterday, that once again, bad behavior was taking place, causing some verbal confrontations between visitors.  There should always be room for people with different interests, different points of view, with respect for each other and for different opinions. Whether you are a birder, a photographer, or just an individual, there is no excuse for what should be obvious bad behavior. Do you act differently when you are alone birding or photographing? Do you play a bird recording continually for a half hour, or stalk a bird until you chase it away? You have to live with yourself! If you do not realize that what you are doing is probably not acceptable, what can I say. When you are around others, do you realize when your actions are annoying to them? If so, you have crossed the line of acceptable behavior. Perhaps the consequence should be to be shunned by the overall birding community.  Some additional thoughts provided by others; "Birding Friends Are As Important As The Birds, Or More So"; "Don't Take The Distractions To Seriously, Life Is To Short For That"; and "My Attitude Is A Result Of Your Actions! So If You Don't Like My Attitude, Blame Yourself!". 

Bob Lane                                          
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