[EBB Sightings] BIRDER BEHAVIOR The ABA code of Ethics

The ABA code of Ethics say we should not disturb a rare bird many are watching.
ABA Birding March/April 2005 Volume 37 pages 124-125, Letters to The Editor  .
Read "Collecting Twitches" a letter from an ABA memeber.
The reader Bob Fisher of Independence Missouri, voices an opinion of birding vs science.
A few years ago I worked for the U.S Forest Service doing a Sptted Owl nesting survey in the Sequioa 
National Forest to define the boundries for a logging contact which was to be let.
The pirority was to protect several Spotted Owls known to use the forest for nesting.
This was March 2003.
The Biologist I worked for was taught by the U.S Forest Service to call-minic from her own voice the
Spotted Owl. It was wonderful to be in total darkness at 3 or 4 AM in the 100% still~ quiet wilderness and hear her call for the owls. But is was even more motivating to hear the response.
The birds came into perfect view. 
No harm done:  in fact this help the Owls, the Forest Service and the Loggers , by keeping the nesting territories
off limits to logging. Everyone was happy. I spoke with the Cut Manager he was 100% supportive of the action to set big boundries. He was afraid the noise would distrub the nesting Owls. So he wanted big boundries.
Oh as  side note this Biologist did a terffic Great Grey Owl Call, too.

Regards
Rich Cimino
Pleasanton, Ca.



-----Original Message-----
From: "Hartwell, Roger" 
Sent: Mar 22, 2005 11:22 AM
To: Martha H Breed , sightings at diabloaudubon.com
Subject: RE: [EBB Sightings] Fw: BIRDER BEHAVIOR

I think calls can be useful if done in a coordinated scientific effort
to determine the status of suspected declining species.  Cornell's Birds
in Forested Landscapes is such an effort, and in that case it might be
worth the bird's trouble for the benefits the species receives.  But it
is not "birding."  And certainly, no one I know is using the study to
tic off their scorecards.  Anyway, if your major goal is to fill out a
bird list you've missed the point of birding.  

Roger D. Hartwell
Supervising Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist
East Bay Municipal Utilities District 
Fisheries and Wildlife Division
500 San Pablo Dam Road
Orinda, CA 94563
(510) 287-2025
Business Fax (925) 254-8320


-----Original Message-----
From: sightings-admin at diabloaudubon.com
[mailto:sightings-admin at diabloaudubon.com] On Behalf Of Martha H Breed
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 10:35 AM
To: sightings at diabloaudubon.com
Subject: [EBB Sightings] Fw: BIRDER BEHAVIOR

Birders: I am forwarding this post from Oregon birders online


--------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 16:14:05 -0800

Dear Katy,

	I agree with Katy 100%. I don't think birders understand the
DAMAGE they do to the birds they claim to admire. Lets imagine I am a
Principal of a large grammar school. I ask you if my school can visit
your home and  ask you questions to learn about your wonderful
lifestyle. Wanting to help students to learn and expand their knowledge,
you say, yes.  

	For the next 6 months, you have students coming to your house,
at all hours, one at a time , not on your schedule, but on their
schedule. You don't want to be rude so you give each of them your time
and effort. You find some of them very noisy, some arrive on
skateboards, others litter your yard, some call you on the phone and
want to talk and talk....  and now you understand that some birds (
common, rarities, and endangered) can have the same problem you are
having. Folks, don't be selfish. Turn it around and see it from a bird's
point of view. 

	Haven't the learned warned us about Not using recordings?
Spotted Owls are eaten by other owls? Predators are wanting to see what
you find so interesting! So we have to ask, what are WE as birders, and
what are YOU individually doing for the survival of the bird species.
WE and YOU should DO NO HARM!  But you do anyway, and I for one can't
understand why. Is a tick more important than the bird.

	Pat Waldron
	East of Scio
	Linn Co.



> Katy Averill wrote:
> 
>   There have been several messages concerning usage of various 
> machines to play bird calls in order to lure birds into view.  So far 
> I haven't seen any discussion about the ethics of such usage.
> 
>   We've been on trips with people, and one bird trip company,  who 
> called birds in this way and on 3 trips with a birding company that 
> feels that the waste of the bird's energy in answering is not 
> justified by the customer, or individual birder, being able to make 
> another tick on his/her list.  Does anyone know to what extent 
> breeding, etc., is affected by playing the calls especially in popular
> areas?   Katy
> 
>     ---------------------------------------------------------------
> _______________________________________________

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