"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.
The Loneliest Road A journey across the Nevada's Great Basin and the Loneliest Road in America. We follow the struggle between off-roaders, Great Basin Indians and conservationists over the fate of a blue butterfly.
Summer Lake Part II of a conversation about travel writing, this episode continues into the southern Oregon Desert.
Rachel, Nevada and Area 51
Area 51 is a dusty set of hangars at the bottom of a dry lake bed.
The Owyhee River Part I of the Oregon Testament.Follow us to Leslie Gulch, where we stumble upon a yet undiscovered Native American site.
The Alvord Desert Part II of the Oregon Testament. Fishing under the Steens Mountains, and wandering the alkali flats of Alvord Lake.
Mono Lake They are twisted, trollish, ungodly, like a woman turned to stone
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