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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mark Newsome" data-source="post: 1785914" data-attributes="member: 7415">Whilst everyone has their own personal viewpoint on what constitutes flushing a bird and what is 'acceptable' disturbance, I think we should put it in perspective. The thread is about organised flushing of a single vagrant, true for our enjoyment in seeing it, but it's one bird. Disturbance can be kept to a minimum using common sense and consideration for the bird. True, what does it matter whether someone manages to see the Great Snipe (or whatever species) in flight for a few seconds, but many of the same people who enjoy twitching also put much effort into constructive conservation through their love of birds.Compare this to the effects of illegal hunting in the Med, wholescale destruction of habitat, industrial pollution at sea and in estuaries etc. Now that's detrimental to a birds survival. You could even argue that people who keep cats are responsible for the deaths of numerous birds every year. Not wanting to play the subject of the thread down, but it makes no real difference whether the Great Snipe is flushed a couple of times by a line of birders, or by a farmer in a tractor. Very minor disturbance in the grand scheme of things and just to a single bird.But if we possibly can, we should keep intential disturbance to a minimum. We're all agreed on that, I'm sure.</blockquote>