[obol] aba

[Mike Patterson]

Don't confuse being a member of ABA with participation in the life
list stuff.  I have been a member for 25 years and have never submitted 
my list to ABA, mostly because I'm too lazy to do the paper work.  For 
a better representation of Oregon Life Lists see OREGON BIRDS (most 
recent OB 33(2):32-41).

Mind you, 339 is still respectable (as is the 108 species 10-year-old
Michael Maine reported to me as his life-list last week), but it's
not 18th in the state.

Many of us have mixed feelings about the inherent competitiveness of
comparative listing.  My list, for example, is 399 which is also well
below 18th in the state.  It's the product of 38 or so years of accretion.  
All it says about me as a birder is that I'm not as passionate about 
my list as some others.  I respect that passion in others (though I've 
been accused of being an anti-lister), but my passion lie elsewhere.

We birders are a diverse people and I will happily spend a day indulging
a fellow birders need pad his/her life-list, but the price they will pay 
is indulging my digressions to salamanders, butterflies and ecological 
frameworks.


rich armstrong wrote:
> 
> 1. nanette & i am a member of the american birding association (aba).
> 2. they publish (as well as monthly "birding" and "winging-it") a big day
> book that includes big years and everyone's life lists, state lists, etc. in
> fact there were 2 complete write ups of the 4 who did oregon big days in
> june 07.
> 3. we are trying to increase our oregon list and as of dec 31, 2007 we were
> up to 339 which is at least close to respectable.
> 4. in the aba book this ranks us 18th in the state, which is ridiculous,
> because there are many in oregon who are well ahead of us (obviously we are
> also ofo members and see the real  oregon numbers). it has sheran wright as
> #1 by wide margin over paul sherrell.
> 5. as of the end of 2006 there would be 80 ahead of us and when 2007 numbers
> are out there will likely be more. so we should be around 85th in state, not
> 18th.
> 6. coming from texas where a very high % of birders were aba members we are
> surprised at how few birders from oregon are aba members.
> 6. now this is not a commercial or some request that you join aba - rather i
> am just letting you all know about the aba lists for those that might be
> interested.
> Rich Armstrong
> 541-753-1978
> 
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-- 
Mike Patterson               
Astoria, OR                    
celata at pacifier.com  
 
When bad photos happen to good birds
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/2008/03/photo20080313.html