I remember back in the late 1960s Fred Alsop, Benton Basham, Paul Pardue, J.B. Owen and I were trying to see which of us could see the most life species of birds in Tennessee. We were all at about 270 and wondered if anyone would ever get to 300. I thought we all would because there would be more and more birders per se as well as more good and great ones. I also expected communication between birders would get better. None of us even dreamed of the exponential increase in contact between birders due to the advent of cell phones and the internet nor did we foresee anything leading to the tremendous totals above 350 now achieved. Another thing had to happen to get to these numbers and that was the desire among many birders to make the efforts and sacrifices to do so. I think The American Birding Association ( in its infancy in the 1960s) and tn-bird have had great influences in fueling this desire. Jim Campbell KTOS Oak Ridge, TN Anderson County