Hi Dave,

I have to agree and not being any close to a wildlife/bird(er) photographer,
it never fails to amaze me when people enter seagulls/pigeons (aka $h!t [Email]H@wk$)[/Email]
into Wildlife competitions especially when, in Vancouver (at least), there is
such a host true wildlife such as Eagles, various Hawks, Ospreys, Herons, etc...

So as a definite non-birder/ornithologist I shall refrain from referring to the
type of flying rats you mention

However, speaking of 'birders/ornithologists', I had a job up in Churchill, MB one summer where I learned all about 'birders'

, I was driving a group
of about ten(10) birders a total of about five(5) miles which would normally
take about five(5) minutes, if that, but this particular trip took about two(2)
hours

due to all the stops to binocularise, take notes on and, of course, photographs various birds along the way

A wacky bunch they were or so I thought until I got (really) involved in photo-
graphy

**EDIT** I, also, got to meet (and drive around) a Sir Something or Other who was Her Majesty's advisor on all things Environmental (back in 1984

)*EDIT*

Cheers,

Jack