Subject: [Tweeters] re: Sharing Sensitive Information
Date: Apr 5 20:00:04 2013
From: Scott Downes - downess at charter.net


Tweets,
Paula Flores makes an excellent point and I'd like to add to it a little. As a recent poster said on the topic, many of us are just names on the list-serv. There are no background checks when signing up, so while most members probably do have the best interest in mind for birds, we can't be sure all do. There is nothing preventing a person signing up that is lurking and waiting to learn of sensitive information, only to do harm to the bird. That might sound far-fetched but I have personally witnessed examples that come amazingly close to that very situation. Chasing a vagrant bird is one thing as they aren't resident and aren't tied to a location. Chasing a nesting bird is entirely different. Disturbance at that location could result in nest abandonment and loss of productivity for that year if respect to the bird isn't given. Trusting birding friends and acquaintances that you know will protect the bird is better than broadcasting to an unknown audience on the list-serv.

Food for thought.

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA