Hello Michael and Tweeters,
As so many request came of our sightings of the Boreal Owls on Mt.Rainier,we
also mention the Tape playing on Sunrise to all birders.On our last visit
three of us run in to one birder,who played the tape so loud and
constantly,that we approached him and told him he could not play any tapes
in the Park.The way i anderstand he was working at the Packwood Ranger
Station.On our first visit we had the Owls calling all on there own and had
one Owl fife feet away watching the Owl for almost 15 minutes.Our second
trip at the same location ,there was no owls to be heared.I am afraid that
to many birders played the tape and the owls know this is not onother owl
and not responding.We did get one juvenile later that night in onother area
together with an Saw-whet Owl calling.We was lucky to get the juvenile
Boreal Owl into the flashlight.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma
Godwit at worldnet.att.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael G Donahue <mgd at u.washington.edu>
To: tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 7:48 PM
Subject: FWD: locating Boreal Owls


A friend asked me to post this to tweeters for him.

--------------------------------------
From: Alan Grenon
subject: locating Boreal Owls

People again have been reported playing tapes as they search for Boreal Owls
in the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park. This is inappropriate
for at least the following reasons:

1. If playing tapes does have negative impacts on birds, those impacts will
most likely affect birds in areas where birders play tapes at the same birds
repeatedly, whether due to ease of access or to rarity (desirability) of the
birds.
2. Playing tapes to influence wildlife is prohibited at Mount Rainier
National Park. The National Park Service has sole jurisdiction for law
enforcement within the park's boundaries. In other words, playing tapes at
owls there is illegal.
3. On a more general note, if birders leave trails in the Sunrise area to
seek birds, they are breaking another park regulation, which exists to
protect the highly fragile vegetation and soils of the subalpine communities
of the area. These habitats cannot resist the impacts of the many thousands
of visitors to the area annually if those visitors leave hardened trails.

The American Birding Association code of birding ethics:
1. "Limit the use of recordings . and never use such methods in heavily
birded areas or for attracting any species that is . rare in your local
area."
2. "Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and
public areas."
3. "Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep
habitat disturbance to a minimum."

Alan Grenon
pan at mailandnews.com