[texbirds] Re: use of iphone in field
- From: "gil.eckrich" <gil.eckrich@xxxxxxx>
- To: <jim.sinclair@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2014 18:27:33 -0600
I concur with Jim and used an identical policy on Fort Hood for the
Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo.
Gil Eckrich
Belton
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Jim Sinclair
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2014 5:55 PM
Cc: Texbirds
Subject: [texbirds] Re: use of iphone in field
There is another scenario where playing tapes have minimal impact, and that
is in controlled access areas where there is a guide in total control.
On our spring all day birding tours to the Norias division of the King
Ranch, we will, on occasion, play the Ferruginous Pygmy-owl call for both
the owl itself and as a predator call.
We typically only have to do this on the first few tours of the season.
There are about 20 known owl territories that are accessible to our tours,
and - on any given day - we only have time to access about half of those.
Additionally, we have a self imposed restriction to not call in a given owl
more than three times in a season. Lastly, we are the only people accessing
those territories, so there are no other people playing their call.
On Fri, Jan 3, 2014 at 5:39 PM, Clay Taylor
<Clay.Taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> All -
>
>
> So is this the Elephant in the Room - you have arrived at a place
> where another birder has already played a recording, thus agitating
> the Target Bird, and now you are mad because you MISSED it? Come on - be
honest!
>
>
>
> My initial response - if you are going to argue for "no recordings",
> then you had better advocate "no pisshing", too!
>
>
>
> As others have said, I definitely think that there are different
> situations that need to be looked at before making a play / no play
> judgement:
>
>
>
> Breeding season / birds on territory - I usually do not play
> recordings or predator calls. Males should be singing on territory so
> you already know it is there, and females should be tending to eggs /
babies, so disturbance
> there could lead to nest failures. Back in New England, walking up to
> view a nest was a sure Death Sentence, as Raccoons would follow your
> body scent to the nest - snacktime!
>
>
>
> Migration - alarm calls are a way for mixed species to broadcast imminent
> danger. Getting their attention that way is a guarantee that they will
be
> agitated, so you only get brief looks - barely OK for counting species or
> individuals. I have no problem with invoking owl calls, etc., to get
them
> to sit up and be seen, if only briefly. If you want quality looks, sit
> quietly and watch. Lose the khaki "birder's uniform" and wear camouflage
> clothing, too.
>
>
>
> Wintering birds - a mix of behavior defending winter territories /
> predator alarm. Playing the same species call might bring out a
> winter-territory defender, or that might drive it out of the area. No
> Data available to make a sure statement. I do use recordings and
> pisshing, especially for CBCs, if for no other reason that previous
> CBC data were gathered using them (yeah, circular logic, but what the
> heck) and we want to be consistent, right? ;-)
>
>
>
> At a Birding Hotspot (any time of year) - have a bit of class and
> refrain from playing recordings / pisshing, as the next birders to arrive
will be
> screwed. Remember, you group could BE the "next birders"!
>
>
>
> Clay Taylor
> TOS Life Member
> Calallen (Corpus Christi), TX
> Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:Clay.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Tim Brush
> Sent: Friday, January 03, 2014 2:30 PM
> To: glqman@xxxxxxxxx
> Cc: Texbirds
> Subject: [texbirds] Re: use of iphone in field
>
>
>
> In my opinion, I think use of tapes, etc., on CBCs is generally quite
> justified, except in rare cases where there would be a sensitive
situation.
>
> I do not use them myself, but rely on hearing or seeing activity in an
> area. A secondary objective (often primary) is seeing birds engaged in
> normal behavior, so being as unobtrusive as possible is desirable. I
> do occasionally pish or imitate a screech-owl or pygmy-owl, if I
> really am having trouble seeing and counting the birds. having said
> all that, I know that for some folks, playing owl recording is
> standard operating procedure on CBCs, and that seems fine. In many
> cases of Texas, the CBC may be the only time many private or other
controlled-access areas get surveyed.
>
> For general use, I do think it's worthwhile having a discussion, even
> though I am not aware of any significant problems with overuse of
> tapes, ipods, etc. There is new technology and always new birders
> becoming active, so some education and discussion is highly worthwhile.
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Tim Brush
>
> Edinburg, TX
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 3, 2014 at 2:09 PM, Robert White <glqman@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:
> glqman@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Before asking permission to use playback at a national wildlife
> > refuge
>
> > during a recent CBC, I checked the FAQs for compilers on Audubon's
> website.
>
> > Here's what they have to say:
>
> > "Recently there has been a recurring question about the use of
> > tapes,
>
> > iPods, "pishing", and other attractant noises on Christmas Bird Counts.
>
> > Such methods and devices are strictly forbidden on the Breeding Bird
>
> > Survey, Breeding Bird Atlas, and other surveys of birds in the
>
> > breeding season. However, because the CBC is monitoring birds in
> > the
>
> > non-breeding season (and most species are not singing, at least in
>
> > North America) the use of tapes and attractant noises has always
> > been
> allowed on the CBC.
>
> > With the advent and proliferation of iPods and other hand-held
> > devices
>
> > that can readily play bird vocalizations and elicit responses from
>
> > otherwise hidden birds, this use is reported to be on the rise.
>
> > The prohibition of the use of attractant noises on CBCs would be a
>
> > relatively major programmatic decision that could quickly change the
>
> > data collected by observers on many counts, and thus we need to
>
> > continue their use at least for now. However, the use of such
> > devices
>
> > should be very judicious, and never done in a fashion that could
>
> > affect the behavior of target species in any significant way. If
> > you
>
> > use iPods or tapes on your CBC, please keep this in mind!"
>
> > I was granted permission to use calls that day, but really only used
>
> > it to try to locate an out-of-range count week phoebe. I was
>
> > unsuccessful, I might add.
>
> >
>
> > I also used a screech-owl tape (yes, a real cassette) before dawn
>
> > along the road outside the refuge to try for a screech-owl. No luck
>
> > there, either.
>
> >
>
> > -Bob White
>
> > Spring, TX
>
> >
>
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--
Jim Sinclair (TX-ESA)
TOS Life Member
Kingsville, TX
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of
thinking we were at when we created them." - Albert Einstein
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