[tn-bird] Re: Hummers and Pishing
- From: James Brooks <comeback@xxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 15:36:14 -0400
I think all birders make far too much noise in the field for their own
good, and I plead guilty as charged.
It's not just pishing and tapes, it is talking, laughing and just plain
displaying poor field craft.
For many experienced birders pishing has become a reflex rather than a
considered technique, and it gets louder and more alarming as more years
are spent in the field. Perhaps it is related to failing hearing.
When done, it should be done softly and the particular noise used should
match the conditions and the birds sought. Basic pishing, to me, is
imitating a mildly (if there is such a thing) disturbed House Wren, with
drawn out notes. Short staccato notes are made by any number of birds
when danger, such as when an arboreal snake, is present.
Audrey Hoff once taped a snake mobbing scene on Martinique, Lesser
Antilles, involving White-breasted Thrasher, Trembler, and other island
endemics. She replayed the tape on other islands and in the U.S. and
attracted equally large numbers of birds - the disturbance call seems to
be the same for Bananaquits and Adelaide's Warblers as for Carolina
Chickadees. The Adelaide's incidentally, seems to be attracted by human
conversation. We'd be yacking, the birds would appear, we'd fall silent
and they'd disappear until we started talking again.
When Americans try to bird in Eurasia and Africa, where virtually all
birds are hunted, we begin to learn something about field craft, and
this is the area where the Brits are light years ahead of us. They often
wear Camo, set up their scopes while cross-legged on the ground with
their cars behind them so they don't break the skyline, speak in
whispers, and generally behave as hunters have learned to do the world
over.
Compare that to what you see on the typical field trip. BTW, white hats,
t-shirts and the lot are alarm colors in nature, particularly around
shorebirds.
James Brooks
Jonesborough, TN
TH Cumbie wrote:
>Banders and Pishers,
>
>Here is your chance to speak up for this whole process. I have banded and
>certainly pish.. I am considerate and conservative as are most birders and
>banders whom I have observed in the field when this is done. To me the
>benefits are far greater than any possible damages.
>
>I have heard a few speak against pishing.. and one or two against banding.
>As a whole it is helpful to know and keep records of all the birds we can
>locate, in my opinion.
>
>Tess Cumbie
>Buladean
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Sheb Marsh <sapsucker@xxxxxxx>
>To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 10:59 AM
>Subject: [tn-bird] Re: Hummers and Pishing
>
>
>>>>I was wondering if some of you might answer a >>question I have
>>>>
>concerning
>
>>>>hummers, especially the learned Bob Sargent. >>Within the last couple
>>>>
>of weeks
>
>>>>I have had hummers come to trees where I was >>trying to raise some
>>>>
>hidden
>
>>>>Passerines by pishing.
>>>>Roger Mayhorn
>>>>
>>>Another weird one you may want to try is pishing >for shorebirds! Don't
>>>
>laugh
>
>>>and throw me off of Tennessee Birds until you try >it. I first saw it
>>>
>used
>
>>>successfully in Alaska by Dave Stejskal of Tucson, >one of Field Guides,
>>>Inc.'s super bird guides.
>>>
>>>Bob Sargent
>>>
>>That one really got me. Why on earth would you want to or have to pish
>>
>shorebirds? I can possibly understand the irresistible urge to pish a bird
>hidden in the bush so you can see it, but shorebirds are in the open and
>there's no need to disturb them. One would hope to observe them quietly and
>unobtrusively, as all of our bird viewing ideally should be. As birders,
>there are few ways of observing birds without disturbance, but we should try
>to minimize the disturbance as much as possible.
>
>>There has been talk of pishing and playing screech owl tapes to draw birds
>>
>into the open. It worries me that newer birders may be drawn to these means
>because they see that the good birders are doing it and seeing a lot more
>birds than they are. I urge you to keep these disturbances to a minimum, and
>they are disturbances. Often times birds will continue to feed during an owl
>tape, but there are several species who stop everything to give complete
>attention to the tape and when that occurs the tape should be stopped
>immediately. Thrushes and Phoebes come to mind and there are others.
>Pishing, however, while it doesn't draw birds from as far away as tapes, is
>usually more disruptive to the nearby birds. The birds stop everything and
>give it their complete attention and leave the area as soon as it stops. You
>have just driven them away from a place they preferred to be, but no longer
>feel safe. And never, never play tapes and pish while birds are nesting.
>They need to devote all their time to caring for their young and shouldn't
>have to show themselves for your benefit.
>
>>We all could stand a little self examination in our birding ethics, and I
>>
>am no exception. I have pished and I have played tapes, but I am learning to
>curb my zeal. We also could be more critical in examining other practices
>relating to birds. Banding birds is another area that could use some
>attention. I believe the recovery rate of banded birds is about 2%. In other
>words you'd have to band 50 birds to recover one. That's disturbing a lot of
>birds for so little result. I'd guess the recovery rate for hummers to be
>higher and the facts learned are certainly interesting. There are six
>hummers for every one you see. That's fascinating, but do we need to know
>it? It sates our curiosity but how does it benefit the hummers? Keeping them
>long enough to measure their body fat to see if they are able to continue
>migration? They know when they are ready and we don't need to. Just keep
>your feeders up until the solution freezes.
>
>>I think it would be wonderful to hold a bird in my hand and see it close
>>
>up and have several times considered attending a banding session. But I know
>in my heart it isn't right and as much as I would like to, the love of birds
>and what's best for them is more important. If banding is done at all the
>birds should be released as quickly as possible and taking time to let
>others hold them or photograph them is unnecessarily delaying the release. I
>am not accusing Bob Sargent of any of these practices, and from what I have
>read I'd bet he doesn't let anyone else handle the birds he captures.
>
>>>From what I have seen most banders are conscientious and caring people,
>>
>and often some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. As birders
>we disturb birds more than nonbirders, but no one disturbs birds more than
>banders.
>
>>Sheb Marsh
>>Paducah, KY
>>
>>
>>
>>--
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>
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> Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
> web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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> TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
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with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
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Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
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