I wonder all the time if I am really a birder. I do keep lists, two of them, my year list and my life list and I am sure that I would make mention of where I was birding if not in Churchill. My lists do not include the weather of the day, who spotted what, who IDed what and so on. I also heard that if there was no one to confirm what I saw I couldn't list it. BUNK! If I say I saw it, I saw it, for me it's just that simple.

When it comes down to it they are my lists and I will keep them as I like. It's just that I read in places like Bird Forum that there are so many rules to keeping lists and that unless birds are confirmed by others they should not be listed as sightings. BUNK! Again if I say I saw it I saw it, if you choose to believe me good, if not that's good too.  Perfect example is a Belted Kingfisher on a power line on one of our roads. My birding mentor had just driven by and I asked if she had seen it, she said no but also didn't tell me that I shouldn't list it. Yes it was a quick look and no she didn't see it, it is not common around here but she didn't say it might be, she said good for you and wished she'd seen it. Did I list it? You're darned tootin and it made my life list and that's where it's staying.

And after my list rant the Snow Geese arrived as far as I know on the 9th of May and the only new development is the White Crowned Sparrow. I saw him first on May 15, actually I heard him first and had to look for him. We call him Mr. goosie, he's my birding partners memory bird. She grew up here and his song is the sound track of summer. When she was little her dad said that it was her bird because his song is MistaGooosiesqueshis and that means little white girl in the Cree language, she was the lightest of his native children.