In fact Mr. McKerchar is a true Lancastrian None of that "ooh, when I was born it was in Lancashire so I'm still a Lancastrian now the boundaries have changed" nonsense. Where I was born is and always will be in deepest Lancashire.

Funny thing is though that I really don't care. I am not a Lancastrian and I am not a Mancunian. I am me and I am a birder. That I live within these invisible boundaries which to so many really do mean the world, is inconsequential. Sure I flippin' run a website which covers the area within those invisible boundaries but until those boundaries dissappear it's necessary for recording the birds within them. And anyway I see Manchester Birding as pushing way beyond those boundaries, check out the 'out-of-county forum on here, easily the best around currently (and a big thanks y'all ). Manchester Birding began (and still is of course) simply my personal website, but I had to think of a name and that was the best I could come up with (just look how many other counties have adopted a similar, 'insert your county here..birding', name since this one was set up though ).

Those 'boundary birders' out there, the ones who wouldn't dream of setting foot outside their invisible boundary or indeed of contributing on this forum because it says 'Manchester' on it are quite frankly, sad! Three years ago, Greater Manchester was to be fair, all too often quite boring, undercovered, underwatched and slagged off at every opportunity. Birders would happily never go birding outside their back door, their local patch or within these invisible boundaries unless there was something special to see. But look at us now in this short space of time. A superb network of communication and a supreme community of birders furthering this little patch of land and pulling out all the stops to improve what we have. Is there more to come? You betcha'. Should they decide to do away with our boundaries tomorrow I won't cry and I'll still go birding where I do now. Oh, and Manchester Birding would still remain!

Borough listing is simply an exercise in seeing exactly what can be acheived, of setting benchmarks, of encouraging birders who normally wouldn't partake in county efforts due to travelling etc, to have a go and get involved. Clearly it's worked and the results so far have been very impressive indeed.

So you 'boundary birders', free yourselves of your shackles and embrace the whole point we do this, for the birds and not the boundaries. Call yourself what you like, live in what county you like to call it but don't let it affect your birding as after all the birds have no idea what county they're in. Nor do they care.

Oh and by the way Mr. Rigby, McKerchar is of course Scottish, of the Farquharson Clan I might add. So, born in Lancashire, now living in Greater Manchester, Scottish and Dutch ancestry....just proves how little I care for boundaries really



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 6th of April 2010 04:42:03 PM