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Hi, I started birding in the UK many years ago. By the time I left for the Seattle in 1994, it was common, sometimes compulsory, especially if you had got a tick to make a donation. Back then it was a UK pound, probably more now. </div>
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Usually, the money went to a charity of the home-owners choice. If on a bird reserve, it went to them (the RSPB or another Birding organisation).</div>
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Bear in mind that typical twitches in the UK often attract many more birders than typically seen in WA. The famous Golden-winged Warbler twitch attracted about 3000 birders per day for the 1<span><sup>st</sup> weekend - the news broke on national radio on
the Friday evening: a rallying call to all birders in the country. Feb 1989 - happy days. I believe the biggest twitch ever! But no donations for that bird!</span></div>
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<span>A young couple hosted an Olive-backed Pipit in their back garden in Bracknell, not far from Windsor in 1984. It was a postage stamp size garden and you could only see the bird by being invited into their house. The chose the donation money go to replacing
their hall carpet - no one begrudged them after hundreds of people walked through the house to the kitchen to see the rare pipit. </span></div>
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<span>S</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">ometimes I even miss the crowds of twitchers!</span></div>
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cheers, Steve</span></div>
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<div>Steve Pink Edmonds, WA mailto: pirangas@hotmail.com </div>
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