Hey tweets, to add my little two cents' worth to this thread: My
feeling is that when I am birding, I am in the birds' home, a home
that we humans have made very small. I try to be as good a guest as I
can. I don't play tapes, twist squeaker toys, or pish. Sometimes, I'm
sure - like three-day-old fish and similarly aging guests - I stink up
the environment. In other words, sometimes I break my own rules in
order to see a good bird. Such times never make me proud, and I always
vow to try to do better. Reminding myself that my needs - to see a
rare bird, to watch unusual behavior, to take a nice picture - don't
even come close to outweighing the birds' needs to survive and thrive
helps keep things in perspective for me. Besides, if I don't see a
good bird today, then that bird is still in my future. And that's
something glorious to look forward to. - Connie


On Nov 3, 2009, at 8:01 AM, Christine Southwick wrote:

> Megan,
>
> I'm glad you brought this subject up.
> Years ago, I was on an Audubon field trip. The well-known and
> respected leader phished to bring out a rare-to-this-area bird. I
> was glad to see the bird, and was glad for his talent in finding
> rare birds. But watching the bird nervously wing-flicking (not one
> of its normal characteristics), reacting to the over and over
> repeated phishing started making me feel uncomfortable. I was
> afraid that it was going to have a little birdy heart attack.
>
> I still feel badly for that bird, and what I thought was an
> effective technique, over-used. So what if not everyone saw that
> bird? That happens.
>
> Being that he was a well-respected leader, known for finding rare
> birds; and I was a lowly intermediate, I didn't say anything. I
> probably still wouldn't say anything (although I haven't been on any
> trips for which he is the leader). But, now, when I phish, I only
> do it for a short while--and always think of that poor stressed-out
> bird.
>
>
> Christine Southwick
> N Seattle/Shoreline
> clsouthwick at q.com
>
> On Mon, 2 Nov 2009, Megan Lyden wrote:
>
>> Hi Tweets,
>>
>> I'm sometimes feeling uncomfortable about the use of tapes when a
>> rarity
>> shows up. I'm not a purist; I have been on a lot of field trips where
>> leaders have used tapes to call in a bird and I've been very happy
>> to see
>> the bird. I guess my question is do we, as a birding community,
>> have any
>> agreement on when using tapes becomes excessive? I was recently
>> out to see
>> a fairly rare bird, and wasn't surprised to see people use a tape,
>> but
>> became uncomfortable when it seemed that although people had
>> already seen
>> the bird, a tape was still being used to pull the bird out for
>> better looks
>> and more photos. I realize that what seems excessive differs
>> widely between
>> people. I also don't want to put myself in the role of a self-
>> righteous
>> policeman. Do I even have a right to let someone know that I'm
>> uncomfortable
>> when I feel they are playing tapes over and over? Am I interfering
>> with
>> right to see a bird? Perhaps I'm anthropromorphizing, but sometimes
>> I wonder
>> how I'd feel if different people kept showing up and ringing my
>> doorbell
>> over and over again, all day long.
>>
>>
>>
>> Megan Lyden
>>
>> Bellevue, Washington
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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