Hey Rob,
Yeah I agree on many points.
We always run that line between letting nature take its course, or allowing our compassion (and passion)? to rule our actions.

I am just asking if it would harm anything, that if this bird is lost and starving, and now unable to fly out of there, to take this bird into captivity and re-habilitate it, feed it, let it get stronger, then release it back into a more natural habitat for it.? Release it somewhere on the east side.?
Give it a chance.

What ARE the ethics here?? I am not sure.? But I would at least suggest that someone with some experience with Raptors at least examine the bird (start from a distance) and see if it is healthy enough to leave if it wants to.
If it is starving, can we allow our compassion to take that step, and capture
it, and in doing so possibly kill it, but attempt to re-habilitate it and release it someplace it would have a chance to survive?

And will any of this benefit the species?? Their numbers are low, so maybe one individual CAN make a difference.? And maybe bringing it in, re-habbing it, and releasing it, will get some people to think about the birds and their plight.? Maybe get one person to re-evaluate how they think about bird like the Burrowing Owl, and maybe make a little difference.

Little differences CAN add up.

Sounds like Larry has a plan. We will have to see how it works out.

Guy McWethy

Renton, WA

mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com

--- On Sat, 3/20/10, Rob Sandelin <nwnature at verizon.net> wrote:

From: Rob Sandelin <nwnature at verizon.net>
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Renton's Owl
To: "'Guy McWethy'" <lguy_mcw at yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 10:39 AM




An interesting notion, Capturing and handling an owl is going
to make it healthier?? If it's an out of place bird and it does not thrive,
is it really our right to intervene??What are we rescuing it from?
Itself??The intrusive birders? ?Or should be let nature take its
course and let this bird follow the the natural consequences for being in the
wrong place.? Do we relocate it, if so where?? And for what
purpose?? Put it in a zoo so we can gawk at it easier?? It may very
well decide to leave on its own and so should we preempt the birds decision
making??
?
One of my concerns about tweeters is that it sometimes brings
out huge crowds of hundreds of people to see a bird like this, turning
?into gawk festivals which either drive away the animals altogether or
cause them distress.? This is unlikely to be a good thing for the birds in
question.
?
Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher



From: tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman2.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Guy
McWethy
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 10:17 AM
To:
Tweeters
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Renton's Owl






Hey Larry,
I was wondering the same thing.
Just not
normal for an owl, let alone a Burrowing, to be sitting in a tree that
long, in such a spot.
I doubt there is anything there for it to feed
on.?
Any re-habbers out there that could get down there and check
it out?
Someone with some raptor experience, maybe catch it, and check
its fat layers?

I would really hate to hear that it was starving to
death while we were watching it ....

Guy McWethy
Renton,
WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com

--- On Sat, 3/20/10, Larry
Schwitters <lpatters at ix.netcom.com> wrote:


From:
Larry Schwitters <lpatters at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: [Tweeters]
Renton's Owl
To: "Tweeters ListServ"
<Tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010,
9:39 AM


Tweeters,


This little guy (girl?) is probably in trouble. ?How would one
know if that is actually the case?


There are urban Burrowing Owls. ?The subspecies in Florida is
often found on vacant lots in the cities. ?Leora and I tracked down
a pair in Fort Myers some years back. ?These critters have been
studied. ?There is even a book and 2006 film about them titled
"Hoot". ?


But I doubt that this owl has staked out the Renton Post Office
Cherry Tree as its territory. ?There's a hole right there by the
sidewalk, but it doesn't look like a burrow. ?It looks like a
hole.


Is the bird hunting? ?This from the Peregrine Fund "Burrowing Owls hunt throughout the 24-hour day, but are
mainly crepuscular, hunting at dusk and dawn. They tend to hunt insects
in daylight and small mammals at night."


Is the Owl just sitting in the Cherry Tree day
and night? ?I'm up for a sunset until total dark stakeout today.
?I currently have no night vision
equipment.


Larry


Larry Schwitters
Issaquah
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