re: massachusetts posts
Robert Weiner (rweiner@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
Wed, 7 Oct 1998 12:16:43 -0400 (EDT)
the posts on massachusetts have made me nostalgic for the wonderful
coast and birds I grew up on. The report on the Mass. MacG warbler,
however, is a bit of a case of "grass is greener on the other side."
Eastern MA is intensely birded (the Brookline bird Club alone runs circa
200 trips/year, almost all in eastern MA) by intense birders; many unusual
birds are found; and many are treated with great scepticism, eventually
not accepted. a number of years ago (before my time), a western
reef-heron was found on nantucket (or martha's vineyard; can't remember).
The report was laughed off by the many MA experts for weeks while the
heron hung around, before someone deigned to check it out and confirm it.
While some western birds are more easily found in MA than here (add
Barrow's goldeneye to the list), MacG's warblers are as hard to find there
as heath hens (well, almost . . .). Moral: check out unusual sightings!
cheers,
Robert Weiner (rweiner@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
International Business Department
George Washington University
Washington DC 20052
202 994 5981