Lighten up folks.   It was just a joke, akin to fishermen describing "the big 
one that got away".   The folks at Lily Pons have been exceedingly friendly 
to and cooperative with birders over the decades.   There is no need to pick a 
fight with our friends.   BTW, it was a very good and informative article.

Paul O'Brien
Rockville, Mont. Co., MD


In a message dated 8/16/04 9:34:41 AM,  writes:


> I was appalled by that too. Is there anything that we, as the birding
> community, can do to respond to that? I would like to see the MOS write
> a letter on behalf of all of us, perhaps with printed signatures of as
> many birders as possible.
> 
> If whoever is responsible for such things does write a letter and wishes
> to include additional signatures, please add mine to the list.
> 
> Sherry Peruzzi
> 
> 
> 
> Emily Joyce wrote:
> 
> >In the "Washington Post" for Sunday there is an article on Lilypons, page 
> C5.  Did anyone else see the reference in the last few paragraphs of the 
> article to birders?  If so, did you find the comment, supposedly by a birder, that 
> birders "all lie" as offensive as I did, or am I being super-sensitive?  As 
> hard as most birders I know strive for honesty in reporting and for providing 
> meticulous descriptions of details in reporting rarities, I find such that 
> comment, even if it were made in jest, a bit insulting.  When we talk to 
> people who are outside of the birding community (such as reporters), it would pay 
> us to choose our words carefully.
> >
> >
> >Emily D. Joyce
> >Crownsville, MD 21032
> >
> >
> >
> >
>