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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dubh Ghall" data-source="post: 1344860" data-attributes="member: 25242">This question looked interesting, and so I read the replies.I seem to detect a strong elitism, and a definite smell of Haggis.There are many people for whom incapacity, or responsibility, makes it impossible for them to pursue their interest as actively as they might wish.Farther, not all serious bird watchers suffer from the fanaticism that some of the denizens of this forum apparently feel is essential, to be classed as "serious".Fact is, the comments of some of the members, make "serious" bird watchers look like nothing more than spoiled, selfish, children, who will follow their own desires, irrespective of responsibility, or the feelings of others....And the question didn't even mention *serious*.Now, as to the number of bird watchers...I couldn't even begin to guess what the number might be, but I do have an idea of how many bird feeders are sold every year, and how much wild bird food, people buy.I also have a very good idea of how many of my neighbours, have an interest in watching birds. In a small cluster of no more than fifty houses, most have an assortment of bird feeders. and more than half have at least one pair of binoculars, on the windowsill.  Granted, most of us are pensioners, and more than a few, are disabled, but we are still watchers.They don't spend all that money out of pure altruism toward the birds.  No, they/we want something back, and not just feel good.They want to observe, they want to watch, and many of us want to learn..  Many are unable to go to the birds, so they/we provide food, and bring the birds to us.We are watchers, just as surely as any twitcher, and deserve to be counted.When you include us, and all the other pensioners, disabled, etc, around the country, in your reckoning, I suggest that two million, would be a ridiculously conservative estimate.</blockquote>

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