Subject: Re: Marbled murrelets before dawn
Date: May 2 20:29:57 1996
From: salix - salix


I think the murrelet surveys thread has run its course, but I've been
away for a couple of days during virtually all of it.
I encourage birders to participate in these surveys. You will (with
luck) learn more about a fascinating seabird, broaden awareness of the
plight of the species, and help wildlife biologists to complete many more
surveys than possible otherwise. You may also have an incomparable birding
experience.
To be clear, my original post (politics and science) was meant to
criticize semantics, not the surveys. The following post to Tweeters
addressed my concerns. It also gave me the opportunity to reminisce about my
season of murrelet surveying, which was based in Verlot.
Near dawn of my first day out, I saw a murrelet flying against an open
sky above the Douglas-firs, carrying a fish it caught some 20 miles away.
Those 3 o'clock wake-up calls are torturous, but the rewards immeasurable.

>DATE: Saturday, May 11
>PLACE: Verlot Ranger Station, on the Mountain Loop Hwy, Mount Baker-
> Snoqualmie National Forest
>TIME: People need to be at the Verlot Ranger station at 4:30 AM
>Saturday morning, May 11. We will immediately move to murrelet
>area, which is about 10 minutes away, for field training. After
>detection training, presentations will be conducted on protocol,
>techniques, and time tables. Adherence to specific protocol is
>essential to the scientific credibility of the findings.
--
Scott Richardson
NE Seattle
salix at halcyon.com