[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

So if 'Twitchers' don't have lists as such, why do people say they 'Put ticks in boxes'? If they don't have lists, then they hear of a rarity, travel there and then see it - then write it. If so, then they don't tick boxes. If they do tick boxes, it must already be written, and so-called a list, pre-defined or otherwise - or is this then called a wishlist, of sorts?

Maybe I'm just over-analysing again...

There is the national checklist of British Birds which people work from. I think what was inferred in the original question is do people make up their own lists of birds they want to see, which they normally don't. Most people however do keep a list of species they have seen usually based against the officially accepted birds on the national checklist. So they aren't making a predetermined list of species they want to see just working from a list of those that have already been recorded in Britain.

Cheers,

Adam