I come to the discussion as a photographer but also as a birder, coming over to
the birder role in the last 12 months or so.
Like Marlene, I have also tried to speak to birders and bird/wildlife
photographers about unethical behavior. I was first approached about this topic
a few years ago by a young birder local to our area at that time. I was a
founding member and an admin on a local social media wildlife group during that
period. This birder was concerned about a number of photographers from that
group coming to a park and photographing an owl nest with owlets, and
approaching way too close. I learned from him that if an owl turns its head and
looks at you, then you are too close. Honestly, I had not ever really given
that a second thought. I learned that if a parent bird is focusing on YOU, then
it is not focusing on its nest or surroundings. And that could turn deadly in
the blink of an eye. I was critical of those birders/photographers and
subsequent people traveling to “get those Owls.” My reputation with fellow
photographers suffered, and still does to a degree. But, I continue to stand up
for birds and wildlife and I try to “educate” humans in the ways of Nature. The
bottom line is “if you see something, do something.” Speak to those
birders/photographers about your concerns. Nature is something we can all enjoy
and I shiver to think some of my fellow birders would keep special sightings a
secret because of the actions of a few unscrupulous birders/photographers.
Seriously, they may just not know what they are doing is wrong.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 12:33:19 -0400
From: MARLENECONDON@xxxxxxx
To: myrmecocichla@xxxxxxxxx, va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Va-bird] birder behavior
Message-ID: <1071ed.6782a99c.46a629cf@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
I applaud Ned, Mike, and Todd for taking the time to put together the
comments expressed below. However, I have to say that, sadly, it was
probably
a waste of time. Here's why:
I have tried to speak to folks about unethical birding behavior, but they
will have none of it. EVERY person justifies--in his own mind--why his
bird harassment is acceptable. Whether it's taking photos, overplaying
tapes
to bring a bird out into the open, or literally chasing birds around--such
as a Snowy Owl on a cold winter's day--there is always a justification.
The excuses fall generally into 4 categories:
(1) The person is doing "science". This excuse is the worst, because
people feel it gives them a moral high ground that negates any harm they do
to
birds.
(2) The person's picture-taking is going to help conserve birds. By
sharing photos in some way, this type of birder feels he can get other
people
interested so they will care about birds and give money to conservation
fund-raising. There are two problems here. One is the complete lack of
empathy for the birds photographed--whether it be owls blinded, even if only
temporarily, by flashes, or adult birds chased off their nests, or nestlings
terrified by this "thing" in their faces. The second is that these
intrusions can bring harm to birds, as for example, when a blinded owl stays
put it
could be taken by a predator.
(3) The person simply does not believe he is causing harm. For example,
most people cannot comprehend what it means to not know where your next
meal is coming from so that every calorie counts. As a result, they think
nothing of constantly scaring up a Snowy Owl in a field instead of letting
it
try to find food.
(4) Field trip leaders feel they MUST produce a bird that would be a
lifer for someone, so they overuse tapes. I've seen this done during
nesting
season by VSO leaders!
So-o-o, good luck with changing bad birder behavior. As long as folks
believe they are justified--and far too many do--it will never happen.
Sincerely,
Marlene
In a message dated 7/21/2017 4:44:13 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Hello everyone -
Please note that although I am posting the letter below using my account,
it has three signatories and expresses the views of all three of us.
Thanks -
Mike
Probably most of us have been given a gift we didn?t particularly like, and
as children we learned that ?it?s the thought that counts? and we should
say thank you anyway. In other words, we?ve been taught that gratitude is a
proper response to any gift ? even the ones we don?t really like or want.
When someone finds a rare bird and posts the information on where to see
it, you?re being given a gift ? at least two of them, in fact. The gift of
information regarding where the bird is, and the gift of access, so that
you can visit the property where the bird is. We might even step back a bit
and think of all birds themselves, as well as the time we have to devote to
them, as gifts, even aside from their rarity.
Unfortunately, it seems that some birders are not saying ?thank you.? In
fact, many birders act as though they aren?t aware that what they?ve been
given is a gift at all. Instead, we?re concerned that the behavior of some
birders, especially when rare birds appear, implies that they are not
concerned about what impact what they?re doing will have on anyone besides
themselves. Repeated actions by some birders in recent years, especially
when rarities appear, indicate to us that too many birders are willing to
put their own desires to see and photograph birds ahead of the welfare of
birds, the stated desires of property owners (and in some cases, the law),
and the interests of other birders in seeing the same birds.
The birds that we are often most anxious to see (rarities) are also often
ones that are especially stressed. They are typically in a strange
environment and so are coping with pressures to survive that are at least
partly foreign to them. Food, predators, and other components of the
habitat in which they?ve found themselves are not what they?re used to,
which makes them more vulnerable. Birders who pursue such birds too closely
are adding to their stress and are making them less likely to survive. This
is obviously not in the best interest of the birds, and it makes it less
likely that such birds will survive until other birders can see them. The
excuse that such birds ?are going to die anyway? might often be true, but
it?s not a certainty, nor is it an excuse for irritating other birders or
property owners.
Property owners, whether individual or corporate, private or governmental,
have the right in this country to tell birders when and how they may access
their property. While it?s true that some restrictions might seem
unreasonable from a birder?s perspective, when they are clearly stated, we
risk their anger (if not legal retribution) when disregarding them. An
all-too-common response by landowners angered at birders is simply to
restrict or end access to their property. This is understandable, since it
is an efficient solution, much more efficient than trying to compile a list
of ?good? vs. ?bad? birders, i.e. those who follow the stated guidelines
and those who don?t. Restricting access to a site harms all birders, and
eliminates whatever value the scientific data contributed by birders might
have had.
Birders are people, and all people are not the same. To be frank, some care
more about other people, and some care less. Birder misbehavior that
threatens birds and angers property owners is also frustrating to other
birders, and it appears that some birders need to be reminded of this. Some
reasons have already been mentioned above: that birds might leave an area
or die prematurely due to stress, meaning that fewer birders see them, and
that access to good birding areas can be curtailed. And there are other
reasons.
One reason that has been mentioned before is that birding is common enough
that there can be such a thing as a ?public perception of a birder.? To
give a similar example, consider any other label that we put on other
people: hunter, vegetarian, liberal, conservative, atheist, theist?. Each
of these carries certain biases and images, for better or worse, accurate
or inaccurate. What we do as birders contributes to the public image of a
birder. Rightly or wrongly, people often apply characteristics of the
extremists within a group to all the members of the group. If birders
tolerate a few trespassers who will do anything to get a better look at a
bird or a better photograph of a bird, we risk being categorized with them.
Your behavior as a birder reflects on other birders. Even if that is not
reasonable, it is the way people think.
It has been less than 100 years since ornithology that used a shotgun as a
primary tool evolved into birding that uses binoculars as a primary tool.
Now we?ve entered a time when our binoculars are routinely supplemented
with social media and digital photography. As with any new technology, this
combination has the potential for abuse, and we are particularly concerned
about the repeated abuse of information gained through social media by
birders generally, and by bird photographers in particular.
While we could tell numerous stories of particular offenses and offenders
from recent years, we do not want to engage in finger-pointing at
individuals. But the possession of expensive equipment does not exempt
anyone from the guidelines we?ve discussed above. Arguably, it gives one
even more responsibility, since it can give non-birders a stronger
impression of someone who has time and money to spend chasing birds than do
our binoculars. (The average member of the public probably can?t tell at a
glance the difference between a $200 pair of binoculars and a $2200 pair,
but they can tell the difference between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR with
a Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens.) Similarly, the misuse of sound recording and
broadcasting equipment remains a concern, especially since the field use of
phones with superb sound reproduction capabilities is now routine.
We want to remind all birders that behaviors that stress the birds we
purse, or stress the landowners on whose land the birds occur, or stress
other birders, should be avoided. Such incidents have the potential to
become even more common as birder numbers increase and we continue to use
social media. We also want to point out that in recent years, we have seen
incidents ourselves, and heard numerous other reports, indicating that bird
photographers are responsible for a large number of such incidents. And, we
want to encourage birders who do not engage in or condone such behaviors to
speak to, and speak out against, those who do.
Not all bird species are the same and not all respond to birder pressure
the same. Every situation is a little different. Seeing a rare storm-petrel
from a boat on a pelagic trip, seeing a rare hummingbird at a feeder on
someone?s porch, and seeing a rare wader on a private pond by a public road
are three distinctly different birding scenarios. And although we can agree
on general guidelines, they still have to be applied in particular birding
situations. What was not too close to a bird in one situation might be too
close in another, even when observing the same species of bird. We need to
help each other realize the subtleties of such situations. In many cases
birds are little bothered by our presence. But when large numbers of
birders crowd into a single spot, both birds and landowners are more likely
to be disturbed.
You might say that we are motivated by selfish concerns ourselves. We still
want to see rare birds, and we live with regret that formerly productive
birding sites such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel have had their
access severely curtailed or eliminated. While some blame for such
restrictions can be laid on post-911 caution / paranoia, that cannot
explain every limit we?ve been forced to live with. We are also active
birders who do not wish to be forced to take the position of never posting
the locations of rarities we find because we?re worried about the
likelihood of misbehavior by other birders. It?s reasonable to us that such
an attitude could become increasingly common if birders continue to
disregard the welfare of birds, the rights of property owners, and the
hopes of other birders.
Those who gain a reputation as offenders by repeatedly harassing birds and
disregarding the interests of landowners and other birders cannot be
surprised if they find themselves excluded from the news about rare birds
in the future; what they may gain instead is the ire of other birders who
are also not made aware of rarities when information about such birds is
kept away from social media. This is not an idle conceit; it has occurred
in some situations already. We are aware of birds now present in Virginia,
and others recently occurring here, whose presence was not made public due
to exactly the sort of concerns we are describing. We wish that this did
not have to be the case, and we are writing this letter in hopes that such
situations can be minimized in the future.
We live in the first era in the history of humanity in which information
about the presence of birds (and other wildlife) can be disseminated
instantaneously. It would be bitterly ironic if the technological
revolution that makes possible this interconnection between people
interested in birds were to result in a backlash in which such information
is routinely suppressed, all because of a few bad actors. For decades, the
American Birding Association has published a Code of Birding Ethics (
http://listing.aba.org/ethics/). The ABA regularly revises and discusses
this document. Whether one is a lister, a photographer, or a general
birding enthusiast, we the undersigned feel that it is the obligation of
birders to abide by the letter and the spirit of this document. If our
birding culture cannot be governed by what is, in the end, basic courtesy,
consideration, and common sense, then we risk losing the culture itself. At
the very least, communication about special places and special birds would
become much more limited and private than it is at this moment. We urge
everyone to read the ABA?s Code of Birding Ethics and take the Code to
heart.
Mike Stinson
Ned Brinkley
Todd Day
eBird reviewers
--
C. Michael Stinson
Dillwyn, VA
*** You are subscribed to va-bird as marlenecondon@xxxxxxx. If you wish to
unsubscribe, or modify your preferences please visit
http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/va-bird ***
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 18:17:24 +0000 (UTC)
From: Kristine Lansing <krae1010@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Va-bird Birding <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Great Falls NP Bird Walk 07/23/2017 (Fairfax
County)
Message-ID: <818780887.3944223.1500833844785@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Following is the tally from Sunday's weekly bird walk at Great Falls National
Park, which identified 26 species. ?Hot and humid, it was a quiet morning all
around.
The group meets on Sunday mornings at 8:00 a.m. in front of the snack
bar/concession stand of the Great Falls Park visitors' center. ?All birders
are welcome!
Canada Goose ?14Mallard ?17Double-crested Cormorant ?16Great Blue Heron
?2Black Vulture ?8Turkey Vulture ?1Mourning Dove ?5Yellow-billed Cuckoo ?1 ?
?AuditoryChimney Swift ?13Downy Woodpecker ?3Pileated Woodpecker ?1Great
Crested Flycatcher ?1Yellow-throated Vireo ?1 ? ?AuditoryRed-eyed Vireo
?1Blue Jay ?10American Crow ?11Carolina Chickadee ?2Tufted Titmouse
?10Carolina Wren ?9Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ?13Eastern Bluebird ?3Northern
Cardinal ?11Indigo Bunting ?1 ? ?AuditoryRed-winged Blackbird ?3Orchard
Oriole ?1 ? ?Juvenile male.American Goldfinch ?3
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38282709
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 18:26:10 +0000
From: Jeffrey Blalock <jcbabirder@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: VA-BIRD <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Stressing Birds
Message-ID:
<BN6PR1201MB003502943B05BB3961F0CA77E1BA0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Greetings all
I feel that all of us has stressed a bird or two even if just a little to see
a Life Bird.
But on the whole it is less harmful to them as a deer, duck or turkey being
shot by a hunter or a fish that is frightened by a kook in its mouth and
fights for its life and after maybe a 40 minute struggle it is let go. But
who knows if even lives afterwards
I have been birding since 1984 but it something that I and every birder needs
to work on doing a better job but at the same I feel that as birders we
stress birds and other wildlife less that others that hunt or fish.
I take pictures of birds as I birdwatch and having returned from a trip to
Holland in February my guide there told me that when he started birding it
was just birders out there chasing after the rare birds but now it is more
photographers and that most do not follow any code of ethics just so that
they can get a great picture.
Now before I get fussed at I said most not all maybe photographers and not
birders and not all photographers put undue stress on birds and other forms
of wildlife to get a picture.
From my iPhone
May God Bless and Keep You
Jeff Blalock
103 Elizabeth Court
South Boston VA 24592
434-572-8619 Home
434-470-4352 Cell
jcbabirder@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 14:54:42 -0400
From: David Gibson <20cabot@xxxxxxxxx>
To: MARLENECONDON@xxxxxxx
Cc: VA-BIRD <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "C. Michael Stinson"
<myrmecocichla@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Va-bird] birder behavior
Message-ID:
<CAAYKd5CJ7hvApktcKFc2f5L5X9Jstp1L2tD90+vsiYwJGY-E8Q@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Hi Marlene, I don't know about a waste of time (though you may be right),
but it was much too long and rambling--and not terribly lucid IMHO, and I'm
not sure if many people bothered to read it in its entirety. It was also
kind of a rehashing of stuff we've all read 100 times before. I applaud the
'signatories' for their effort, but would urge them to revisit and to
briefly make their points crystal clear and with good examples. (I would
have loved a few concrete examples of bad behavior and actions taken.)
Best, Dave
On Sun, Jul 23, 2017 at 12:33 PM, MARLENECONDON--- via va-bird <
va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I applaud Ned, Mike, and Todd for taking the time to put together the
comments expressed below. However, I have to say that, sadly, it was
probably
a waste of time. Here's why:
I have tried to speak to folks about unethical birding behavior, but they
will have none of it. EVERY person justifies--in his own mind--why his
bird harassment is acceptable. Whether it's taking photos, overplaying
tapes
to bring a bird out into the open, or literally chasing birds around--such
as a Snowy Owl on a cold winter's day--there is always a justification.
The excuses fall generally into 4 categories:
(1) The person is doing "science". This excuse is the worst, because
people feel it gives them a moral high ground that negates any harm they
do to
birds.
(2) The person's picture-taking is going to help conserve birds. By
sharing photos in some way, this type of birder feels he can get other
people
interested so they will care about birds and give money to conservation
fund-raising. There are two problems here. One is the complete lack of
empathy for the birds photographed--whether it be owls blinded, even if
only
temporarily, by flashes, or adult birds chased off their nests, or
nestlings
terrified by this "thing" in their faces. The second is that these
intrusions can bring harm to birds, as for example, when a blinded owl
stays put it
could be taken by a predator.
(3) The person simply does not believe he is causing harm. For example,
most people cannot comprehend what it means to not know where your next
meal is coming from so that every calorie counts. As a result, they think
nothing of constantly scaring up a Snowy Owl in a field instead of
letting it
try to find food.
(4) Field trip leaders feel they MUST produce a bird that would be a
lifer for someone, so they overuse tapes. I've seen this done during
nesting
season by VSO leaders!
So-o-o, good luck with changing bad birder behavior. As long as folks
believe they are justified--and far too many do--it will never happen.
Sincerely,
Marlene
In a message dated 7/21/2017 4:44:13 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Hello everyone -
Please note that although I am posting the letter below using my account,
it has three signatories and expresses the views of all three of us.
Thanks -
Mike
Probably most of us have been given a gift we didn?t particularly like,
and
as children we learned that ?it?s the thought that counts? and we should
say thank you anyway. In other words, we?ve been taught that gratitude is
a
proper response to any gift ? even the ones we don?t really like or want.
When someone finds a rare bird and posts the information on where to see
it, you?re being given a gift ? at least two of them, in fact. The gift of
information regarding where the bird is, and the gift of access, so that
you can visit the property where the bird is. We might even step back a
bit
and think of all birds themselves, as well as the time we have to devote
to
them, as gifts, even aside from their rarity.
Unfortunately, it seems that some birders are not saying ?thank you.? In
fact, many birders act as though they aren?t aware that what they?ve been
given is a gift at all. Instead, we?re concerned that the behavior of some
birders, especially when rare birds appear, implies that they are not
concerned about what impact what they?re doing will have on anyone besides
themselves. Repeated actions by some birders in recent years, especially
when rarities appear, indicate to us that too many birders are willing to
put their own desires to see and photograph birds ahead of the welfare of
birds, the stated desires of property owners (and in some cases, the law),
and the interests of other birders in seeing the same birds.
The birds that we are often most anxious to see (rarities) are also often
ones that are especially stressed. They are typically in a strange
environment and so are coping with pressures to survive that are at least
partly foreign to them. Food, predators, and other components of the
habitat in which they?ve found themselves are not what they?re used to,
which makes them more vulnerable. Birders who pursue such birds too
closely
are adding to their stress and are making them less likely to survive.
This
is obviously not in the best interest of the birds, and it makes it less
likely that such birds will survive until other birders can see them. The
excuse that such birds ?are going to die anyway? might often be true, but
it?s not a certainty, nor is it an excuse for irritating other birders or
property owners.
Property owners, whether individual or corporate, private or governmental,
have the right in this country to tell birders when and how they may
access
their property. While it?s true that some restrictions might seem
unreasonable from a birder?s perspective, when they are clearly stated, we
risk their anger (if not legal retribution) when disregarding them. An
all-too-common response by landowners angered at birders is simply to
restrict or end access to their property. This is understandable, since it
is an efficient solution, much more efficient than trying to compile a
list
of ?good? vs. ?bad? birders, i.e. those who follow the stated guidelines
and those who don?t. Restricting access to a site harms all birders, and
eliminates whatever value the scientific data contributed by birders might
have had.
Birders are people, and all people are not the same. To be frank, some
care
more about other people, and some care less. Birder misbehavior that
threatens birds and angers property owners is also frustrating to other
birders, and it appears that some birders need to be reminded of this.
Some
reasons have already been mentioned above: that birds might leave an area
or die prematurely due to stress, meaning that fewer birders see them, and
that access to good birding areas can be curtailed. And there are other
reasons.
One reason that has been mentioned before is that birding is common enough
that there can be such a thing as a ?public perception of a birder.? To
give a similar example, consider any other label that we put on other
people: hunter, vegetarian, liberal, conservative, atheist, theist?. Each
of these carries certain biases and images, for better or worse, accurate
or inaccurate. What we do as birders contributes to the public image of a
birder. Rightly or wrongly, people often apply characteristics of the
extremists within a group to all the members of the group. If birders
tolerate a few trespassers who will do anything to get a better look at a
bird or a better photograph of a bird, we risk being categorized with
them.
Your behavior as a birder reflects on other birders. Even if that is not
reasonable, it is the way people think.
It has been less than 100 years since ornithology that used a shotgun as a
primary tool evolved into birding that uses binoculars as a primary tool.
Now we?ve entered a time when our binoculars are routinely supplemented
with social media and digital photography. As with any new technology,
this
combination has the potential for abuse, and we are particularly concerned
about the repeated abuse of information gained through social media by
birders generally, and by bird photographers in particular.
While we could tell numerous stories of particular offenses and offenders
from recent years, we do not want to engage in finger-pointing at
individuals. But the possession of expensive equipment does not exempt
anyone from the guidelines we?ve discussed above. Arguably, it gives one
even more responsibility, since it can give non-birders a stronger
impression of someone who has time and money to spend chasing birds than
do
our binoculars. (The average member of the public probably can?t tell at a
glance the difference between a $200 pair of binoculars and a $2200 pair,
but they can tell the difference between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR with
a Canon 500mm f/4L IS lens.) Similarly, the misuse of sound recording and
broadcasting equipment remains a concern, especially since the field use
of
phones with superb sound reproduction capabilities is now routine.
We want to remind all birders that behaviors that stress the birds we
purse, or stress the landowners on whose land the birds occur, or stress
other birders, should be avoided. Such incidents have the potential to
become even more common as birder numbers increase and we continue to use
social media. We also want to point out that in recent years, we have seen
incidents ourselves, and heard numerous other reports, indicating that
bird
photographers are responsible for a large number of such incidents. And,
we
want to encourage birders who do not engage in or condone such behaviors
to
speak to, and speak out against, those who do.
Not all bird species are the same and not all respond to birder pressure
the same. Every situation is a little different. Seeing a rare
storm-petrel
from a boat on a pelagic trip, seeing a rare hummingbird at a feeder on
someone?s porch, and seeing a rare wader on a private pond by a public
road
are three distinctly different birding scenarios. And although we can
agree
on general guidelines, they still have to be applied in particular
birding
situations. What was not too close to a bird in one situation might be too
close in another, even when observing the same species of bird. We need to
help each other realize the subtleties of such situations. In many cases
birds are little bothered by our presence. But when large numbers of
birders crowd into a single spot, both birds and landowners are more
likely
to be disturbed.
You might say that we are motivated by selfish concerns ourselves. We
still
want to see rare birds, and we live with regret that formerly productive
birding sites such as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel have had their
access severely curtailed or eliminated. While some blame for such
restrictions can be laid on post-911 caution / paranoia, that cannot
explain every limit we?ve been forced to live with. We are also active
birders who do not wish to be forced to take the position of never posting
the locations of rarities we find because we?re worried about the
likelihood of misbehavior by other birders. It?s reasonable to us that
such
an attitude could become increasingly common if birders continue to
disregard the welfare of birds, the rights of property owners, and the
hopes of other birders.
Those who gain a reputation as offenders by repeatedly harassing birds and
disregarding the interests of landowners and other birders cannot be
surprised if they find themselves excluded from the news about rare birds
in the future; what they may gain instead is the ire of other birders who
are also not made aware of rarities when information about such birds is
kept away from social media. This is not an idle conceit; it has occurred
in some situations already. We are aware of birds now present in Virginia,
and others recently occurring here, whose presence was not made public due
to exactly the sort of concerns we are describing. We wish that this did
not have to be the case, and we are writing this letter in hopes that such
situations can be minimized in the future.
We live in the first era in the history of humanity in which information
about the presence of birds (and other wildlife) can be disseminated
instantaneously. It would be bitterly ironic if the technological
revolution that makes possible this interconnection between people
interested in birds were to result in a backlash in which such information
is routinely suppressed, all because of a few bad actors. For decades, the
American Birding Association has published a Code of Birding Ethics (
http://listing.aba.org/ethics/). The ABA regularly revises and discusses
this document. Whether one is a lister, a photographer, or a general
birding enthusiast, we the undersigned feel that it is the obligation of
birders to abide by the letter and the spirit of this document. If our
birding culture cannot be governed by what is, in the end, basic courtesy,
consideration, and common sense, then we risk losing the culture itself.
At
the very least, communication about special places and special birds would
become much more limited and private than it is at this moment. We urge
everyone to read the ABA?s Code of Birding Ethics and take the Code to
heart.
Mike Stinson
Ned Brinkley
Todd Day
eBird reviewers
--
C. Michael Stinson
Dillwyn, VA
*** You are subscribed to va-bird as marlenecondon@xxxxxxx. If you wish
to
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 14:56:26 -0400
From: epsdcva@xxxxxxx
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Fwd: eBird Report - Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve,
Jul 23, 2017
Message-ID: <15d70ceca71-174f-1fa3f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
VA-Birders,
Fourteen birders joined me on the free and open to all birdwalk at Dyke Marsh
this humid morning. We tallied nearly sixty species, with the Black-and-White
Warbler being the least expected of 4 warbler species. The Great Egret
numbers continue to grow, and Osprey young are getting close to independence.
Getting glimpses of M&F Orchard Oriole, scope views of Indigo Bunting, and
seeing an adult Purple Martin pass a bug to a fledgling while both were in
flight were other highlights. Thanks to all, especially Ed Eder, Rich Reiger,
and Kelly Eigler for sharing their talents with the group. Complete list
follows.
Phil Silas, Woodbridge, VA
-----Original Message-----
From: ebird-checklist <ebird-checklist@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: epsdcva <epsdcva@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, Jul 23, 2017 2:20 pm
Subject: eBird Report - Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Jul 23, 2017
Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Fairfax, Virginia, US
Jul 23, 2017 8:00 AM - 11:24 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
58 species (+1 other taxa)
Canada Goose 70
Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) 1
Mallard 61
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 11
Great Blue Heron 15
Great Egret 75
Turkey Vulture 1 flyover while leaving parking lot
Osprey 13
Bald Eagle 4
Laughing Gull 30
Ring-billed Gull 120
Herring Gull 1
Caspian Tern 2
Forster's Tern 9
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 5
Mourning Dove 5
Chimney Swift 3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Peregrine Falcon 1 Scoped perched on S side of Wilson Bridge
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 6
Warbling Vireo 5
Red-eyed Vireo 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 4
Fish Crow 8
Purple Martin 5
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 12
Carolina Chickadee 3
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 1
Carolina Wren 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6
Eastern Bluebird 1
American Robin 5
Gray Catbird 3
Brown Thrasher 1
Northern Mockingbird 3
European Starling 7
Black-and-white Warbler 1
Prothonotary Warbler 1
Common Yellowthroat 2
Yellow Warbler 2
Song Sparrow 1
Northern Cardinal 8
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 52
Common Grackle 14
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Orchard Oriole 2
House Finch 10
American Goldfinch 4
House Sparrow 8
View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38279954
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 14:57:01 -0400
From: Mark Johnson <birdmanj61@xxxxxxxxx>
To: va-bird <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Campbell Co.- Long Island
Message-ID:
<CAK7Ho7zatj2x=v4ukn7hWzTUcW_if4QqrtfMu3b1jbrTjK_3pg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Hello all,
I went this morning to see what was to
be seen at Long Island in Campbell Co.
The temp. was about 84 with a light breeze.
I arrived at the field just before you go into
Pittsylvania Co. at a red gate that has a
"Bulls for Sale" sign and heard 2 Dickcissels
singing and saw a female land on the fence
just past the gate.
Mark Johnson
Madison Heights, Va
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 15:00:38 -0400
From: Janet Paisley <janetpaisley@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Va-bird Birding <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Virginia Birds, Central Region Co-Editors
Message-ID: <4267BA65-C5D8-4167-94AB-1DD647D62EAD@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Dear All,
I want to make everyone aware of the transition taking place in Central
Virginia for Virginia Birds. Andrew Rapp, my Co-Editor for the past three
years, is off to William and Mary in August, to begin an adventure of a
different nature. Many thanks to you, Andrew, for working well with the
birding community and taking pride in writing copy each quarter, as we have
both grown into the job! And best wishes in your endeavors in the coastal
zone!
Beginning this month, Baxter Beamer will be the new Co-Editor. Baxter is the
President of the Blue Ridge Young Birders Club, and already well known to
many birders, as he travels to bird around Virginia. He will have big shoes
to fill, but is, I'm sure, up to the challenge. Please send your central
region reports of rare and interesting species to Baxter or to me. Welcome,
Baxter!
Baxter Beamer barobe09@xxxxxxxxx
Charlottesville, VA
Janet Paisley janetpaisley@xxxxxxxxxxx
Charlottesville, VA
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 15:45:49 -0400
From: MARLENECONDON@xxxxxxx
To: jcbabirder@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Va-bird] Stressing Birds
Message-ID: <10888e.1e41ca6f.46a656ed@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Hi Jeff,
A lot of folks make comparisons as you have done, but that's just not an
appropriate way to look at things.
You shouldn't compare one harm to another, as if that makes the lesser one
OK. It doesn't--it just adds insult to injury, and does nothing to make
people think about behaving in a better manner.
Stressing birds is harmful and simply should not be done, especially if
it's just to add a bird to a list, which is not all that important in the
scheme of life.
You are right. Fish are highly unlikely to survive being caught and
(often quite literally) thrown back into the water. Fishing for fun
shouldn't
be done.
However, most hunters are killing an animal to eat it, and when that's the
reason for fishing, you can't really complain about either activity as long
as the people are behaving ethically. And that's the whole
point--ethics. In other words, wildlife should be observed or killed in a
manner that
minimizes the fright or pain the animal feels.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Marlene
In a message dated 7/23/2017 2:42:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Greetings all
I feel that all of us has stressed a bird or two even if just a little to
see a Life Bird.
But on the whole it is less harmful to them as a deer, duck or turkey
being shot by a hunter or a fish that is frightened by a kook in its mouth
and
fights for its life and after maybe a 40 minute struggle it is let go. But
who knows if even lives afterwards
I have been birding since 1984 but it something that I and every birder
needs to work on doing a better job but at the same I feel that as birders
we
stress birds and other wildlife less that others that hunt or fish.
I take pictures of birds as I birdwatch and having returned from a trip to
Holland in February my guide there told me that when he started birding it
was just birders out there chasing after the rare birds but now it is more
photographers and that most do not follow any code of ethics just so that
they can get a great picture.
Now before I get fussed at I said most not all maybe photographers and not
birders and not all photographers put undue stress on birds and other
forms of wildlife to get a picture.
From my iPhone
May God Bless and Keep You
Jeff Blalock
103 Elizabeth Court
South Boston VA 24592
434-572-8619 Home
434-470-4352 Cell
jcbabirder@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2017 16:58:54 -0400
From: "Joe Coleman" <joecoleman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "va-bird " <va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Va-bird] Blue Ridge Ctr (Lo Co) Birds & Butterflies July 22
Message-ID: <006501d303f6$804fd4f0$80ef7ed0$@rstarmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Ten people showed up on Sat. morning for the regular (every 4th Sat.) bird
walk by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy at the Blue Ridge Center. With
summer well underway, the birds were much quieter and less obvious than they
have been recently but the butterflies made up for that. We did get some
great looks at a Scarlet Tanager, lots of male Indigo Buntings on open
perches, as well as Common Yellowthroats.
We also got a lot of practice for our Annual Butterfly Count which is
scheduled for Sat., Aug. 5 and includes a lot of territory from Leesburg to
the Blue Ridge Center. Many of the wildflowers in the meadows that the Blue
Ridge Center manages were blooming and attracting numerous butterflies, with
lots of Easter Tiger Swallowtails on the wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
and at least a half dozen Monarchs on both it and milkweed.
For a list of the birds and butterflies see below.
Information on the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship can be
found at <http://www.blueridgecenter.org> http://www.blueridgecenter.org.
Information on the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and its many free activities
can be found at <http://www.loudounwildlife.org> www.loudounwildlife.org.
Joe Coleman
Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, Loudoun, Virginia, US Jul
22, 2017 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.2 mile(s)
37 species
Turkey Vulture 4
Mourning Dove 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 15
Acadian Flycatcher 8
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Red-eyed Vireo 10
American Crow 1
Purple Martin 4
Tree Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 3
Carolina Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 4
House Wren 1
Carolina Wren 4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6
Eastern Bluebird 2
Wood Thrush 2
American Robin 2
Northern Mockingbird 1
Common Yellowthroat 6
Prairie Warbler 2
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Field Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 1
Eastern Towhee 2
Scarlet Tanager 3
Northern Cardinal 4
Blue Grosbeak 1
Indigo Bunting 8
Orchard Oriole 1
American Goldfinch 4
View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38266037
This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)
Butterflies seen:
Spicebush Swallowtail 10
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 35
Cabbage White 2
Clouded Sulphur 2
Orange Sulphur 4
Eastern-tailed Blue 3
Silvery Checkerspot 1
anglewings 2
Common Buckeye 2
Hackberry Emperor 1
Northern Pearly Eye 1
Monarch 6
Silver-spotted Skipper 3
Least Skipper 2
------------------------------
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End of va-bird Digest, Vol 123, Issue 24
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