Angela and Tweets

The Wilson Creek/Kannawai Ferruginous Hawk location is in the ABA A Birder's
Guide to Washington. As such it has been a public location for many years
now. If you have not been there this is a relatively remote location and a
relatively little traveled road. In addition the cliffs, in the area where
the hawks nest are pulled back quite a ways from the road. This all helps in
staying removed from the birds. Having said that, it has been my experience
that one should probably do their best to make observations from the car as
the birds have seemed to be less wary that way. Another way you can keep the
pressure down is to be aware of where along the cliffs the birds are located
and to make your observations from as far away as possible.

To all birders and photographers out there, this is not a good location to
try to get in close. Any disturbance of a Threatened or Endagered species
qualifies as "harassment" that is a specific violation of the Threatened
status. Please make your observations from as far away as possible. It is
still possible to get satisfying looks at these great birds.

Brian H. Bell
Birding & Natural History Guide
Woodinville WA
mail to bell asoc at iso media dot com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Angela Percival" <angela at stillwatersci.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 2:24 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] RE: Ferruginous Hawks


I'm glad Scott chimed in about the Ferruginous Hawk nest as I was going
to say the exact same thing. I wonder how people feel about advertising
the exact locations of threatened and endangered species' nests (or
other sensitive locations like rattlesnake dens) on a public list like
this. This information is usually kept confidential by those who survey
or monitor the species. Although we like to trust our fellow birders,
roadside parking and viewing with optics can attract attention from
less-informed curiousity seekers, photographers with more ambition than
scruples, those who still consider hawks and eagles as vermin, etc.
There is an active black market for hawk, eagle, and owl parts in Oregon
and Washington. My mentor taught us to "hide" such activity when cars
pass by putting down binoculars, looking away from the nest, and not
remaining for long near its location.

Some nesting buffer recommendations can be found here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/phs/vol4/abbreviated_ferruginous_hawk.pdf
http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/phs/vol4/feruge.htm
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1367125
>From a Boise State researcher: "Buffer zones of 250 to 800 m in radius
around nests have been suggested to protect ferruginous hawks from
disturbance. A 250 m radius buffer zone around nests would exclude human
disturbance from 73.8% of juvenile locations, and an 800 m radius buffer
zone would exclude human disturbance from 94.7% of juvenile locations.
Buffer zones sustained until after dispersal of juveniles, which occurs
by early to mid-August, would protect juvenile ferruginous hawks from
disturbance while they develop their flight, hunting, and social
skills."

One alternative to providing the location in a post is to say "location
available on request." That way, you can also tell people where it is
safe to park and view the bird/nest/animal without disturbing it.

Angela Percival
Olympia, WA
angela at stillwatersci dot com
------------------------------

Message: 19
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 10:46:39 -0700
From: "Scott Downes" <downess at charter.net>
Subject: [Tweeters] re: Ferruginous Hawks

Seeing the posting of the ferruginous hawk nest at Wilson Creek has
prompted me to ask Tweeters who visit this area to be very careful.
Ferruginous hawks can be very sensitive to disturbance early in the
nesting stage (now and for next month) and prone to abandonment. This is
a Washington State Threatened species that continues to experience
further declines in the State. If you visit please give the birds and
the nest a wide berth this time of year. Its hard to provide specifics
on how far away in general as each year birds have different tolerance
limits, but ferruginous are well known for being the most sensitive to
human disturbance and nest abandonment among Washington's buteo species.

Thanks and best to everyone who gets to see this magnificent and
declining raptor species!

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA
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