"But what about when they are alone, they have no photographic evidence, and the bird sighting is unlikely?"

The woman answers, "If you are Joe Blow and you come in and you say you saw 700 birds and you give them a list that is highly unlikely, that doesn't count."

The man adds, while pouring the wine, "Being a birder means slowly gaining credibility. You are out there seeing something no one else sees, and you may not have proof. But your personality, your friendships with other birders, your notes and your constantly coming up clean over time, that is what makes your report credible. That is how you win a birding competition."

The woman, a little tipsy says, "You think we're strange don't you, for being birdwatchers."

I said, "no, no", but I was already thinking to myself. They just answered my question about a travel writer's credibility.