I'm sorry I didn't remove Vicki Biltz' posting about seeing Great Gray
Owls from my protest about keeping the location of postings secret.
Vicki had promised someone else she wouldn't reveal the location, so my
issue doesn't strictly apply to her posting.

But I do believe in openness, and that's the foundation of Tweeters --
people willing to share information about birds and birding. The issue
of suppressing locations where we've seen owls is really a non-issue.
There ARE quite a few folks who go around shooting birds (almost all of
them are called hunters, and shoot ducks and quail), but those who think
these types sit around going through Tweeter reports to find owl-hunting
places also probably look for communists under the bed. This fear among
some Tweets is greatly exaggerated, I think, and stories I've heard
about "people who shoot birds" are rather like the urban legends of the
evil guy in everyone's neighborhood who gives out Halloween candy laced
with chemicals to make the children sick -- stuff for gossip, even
reported in the newspapers or on TV, but not really true.

The REAL enemy of birds is habitat destruction, and the real enemy of
Tweeters is people who say they have information about where we can see
birds but then say they just won't tell us about it -- to protect the
birds, of course. But they DO tell their friends, and their friends
pass it on. (Vicki B. is an honorable exception.) So the news spreads
like ripples on a pond, alerting birders and supposed bird-shooters
alike. And the Tweets who read these reports don't find out where they
can go see a neat bird. The replies I've received in the last 24 hours
suggest that there are quite a few people besides me who'd like to see
this sort of secrecy foolishness on Tweeters stopped.

And if those who are in love with secrecy don't like to hear that some
of us don't admire bird sightings lovingly told without revealing where
-- just consider that the high priests probably don't like criticism
from the acolytes, either.

Finally, if anyone wants to find a Great Gray Owl I suggest a look at
the Falcon Guide to Birding Northern California (by John Kemper). On
page 299 he tells you the location in Yosemite National Park where
people find them. My wife and I found one there on our last trip.

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.webster at attbi.com