I goofed. "Relocated ON" (the true gnatcatcher example) also leaves the
implication of removal by someone, though not as clearly as "relocated TO."
I can see how the ON would confuse.

Brent Ripley
Kennewick, WA
mailto: brentr at hawlaw.com

----------
> From: Brenton M. Ripley <brentr at hawlaw.com>
> To: Hummer at isomedia.com; Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: A Question Of Syntax
> Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 9:06 AM
>
> I think is has to do with the use of prepositions. "Relocated IN" or
"AT"
> to me does not imply capture and removal (as was stated in the Kestrel
> report), but simply re-finding. "Relocated TO" clearly implies cature
and
> removal (as in the gnatcather example).
>
> I think its perfetly correct to use the phrase "relocated in or at" to
> describe fining a bird that had been lost.
> I didn't think twice about it.
>
> Simply my two cents.
>
> Brent Ripley
> Kennewick, WA
> mailto: brentr at hawlaw.com
>
> ----------
> > From: Michael Hobbs <Hummer at isomedia.com>
> > To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> > Subject: Re: A Question Of Syntax
> > Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 8:55 AM
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Lydia Gaebe <lgaebe at email.msn.com>
> >
> > > Why not just say, "the Eurasian Kestrel is now in Skagit County...."
> or
> > > "the Eurasian Kestrel flew to Skagit County".
> >
> > Well, it wasn't that the Kestrel had moved. It was that the Kestrel
had
> been
> > re-located -- that is, located again. I suppose we could say refound,
> but
> > that's not a word.
> >
> > Interestingly, Lydia is the second person this week who has
misunderstood
> > "relocated" with respect to a rarity. I was telling a King County
Parks
> > employee about the Gnatcatcher, and told her that the bird had been
> "relocated
> > on Saturday". She thought I meant someone captured it and took it away!
> >
> > Does anyone have any better ideas for phrasing the concept of having
> located an
> > individual bird hours or days after it was last seen that doesn't imply
> > transportation?
> >
> > == Michael Hobbs
> > == Kirkland WA
> > == hummer at isomedia.com
> >
> >
> >