Hello Tom and TWEETERS,
I also mst agree with Michelle to report a Owl sighting but not the direct
area where the Owl could be easy found.Patrick and i found many Owls, but
always said the vicinity not the exact spot special Spotted , Boreal and
Great -gray Owls. I think is OK to go owling but not necessary to tell the
world about how to find them. Since i have lot's of Owls on the Gallery, i
been ask by many where i took this photos. You have to be secret about
Owls.
Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma

----------
> From: Tom Foote <footet at elwha.evergreen.edu>
> To: steve rothboeck <srothboeck at hotmail.com>
> Cc: jhadle at halcyon.com; tweeters at u.washington.edu; sebnabgill at aol.com;
raan at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Birding Ethics
> Date: Sunday, August 01, 1999 1:13 PM
>
>
>
> On Sun, 1 Aug 1999, steve rothboeck wrote:
>
> > Pointing out the precise location of a bird, like the Great Gray Owl is

> > exciting to birders, myself included. But is such reporting in the
best
> > interests of the bird? I would be curious to have the thoughts of
others,
> > especially any trained professionals, as to whether the exuberant and
well
> > intentioned enthusiasm of birders can be detrimental to some of these
> > species or whether I need to find more important things to worry about.

> >
> >
> Steve et al--
>
> This is an interesting question..thanks up front for raising
> it for general discussion by the group. This kind of challenge
> is really suited to a forum like this..and even though many
> of us will go merrily on our way doing what we always do
> (letting the cats out, etc.. Oops! different thread) it's
> good to hear the opinions of others about this.
>
> as an aside, I had a friend in San Diego tell me he had an
> Eastern Blue Jay on his property..positive ID.. BUT, he
> did not report it as he didn't want a horde of people
> stomping all over his petunias to get a view of it.. so I
> suppose a sub text of this question of yours, may well be
> whether someone might not want to report a rare bird sighting
> in order to obviate the inconvenience of too much traffic in
> the area.
>
> Your question is more about the welfare of the observed bird
> and that, I think, should always be a prime consideration.
>
> I guess I'd have to qualify my response and say that it would
> depend on the location of the bird and what it was doing. i.e.,
> a Questar on a nesting Redtail may not pose any inconvenience to
> the bird. However, traipsing through the underbrush to observe
> nesting birds I think is disruptive to their reproducing and
> Boy, do we need them to reproduce!.. I had a nesting Winter
> Wren and a Pacific Slope flycatcher right under my deck within
> 3 feet of each other and after I discovered them, I never went
> back under there to observe them. The first time I went under
> there I startled the flycatcher off the nest, so I decided that
> they needed to do their thing without me doing the heavy looking
> on.
>
> so, I'd say it depends on the location of the bird and what
> it's doing.. case in point.. there was a Caracara observed
> in Neah Bay, but it wasn't nesting and it was sort of hanging
> out. I never went to see it as I'm not a twitcher (no reflection
> on those who do that..I just prefer to observe the same old birds
> doing different things...occasionally.. like the crows I caught
> fishing last week. That was very interesting to me and I
> watched them for a long time as I had never seen this before)
> so I don't know if those who went to Neah Bay impinged on the
> bird in any way.
>
> that's pretty much how I see it..
>
> Tom