[wisb] The "Ethics" of Birding

From: "Wayne & Susie" <wsrohde@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:55:39 -0500
I suspect that most of us, when we hear of "the ethics of birding," 
immediately think of such unethical activities as baiting owls, pishing for 
birds during nesting season, disturbing eagles in winter, etc.

But that's not my point!

Neither am I rasing the question of whether or not "heard only" birds should 
be counted on one's life list.  (I freely acknowledge that a relatively 
small number of "heard only" birds have, at one time, occupied such a slot 
on my own life list - perhaps the best-known one being the Whip-poor-will - 
prior to seeing one years later.  One-by-one, I think I've now seen all such 
birds as well as heard them.)

My query relates to the matter of photography as an aid to bird ID.  I have 
three examples, all of which have occurred in my own outings...

1) When I first spotted the Western and Red-necked Grebes on Geneva Lake 
during a CBC, they were so far away that I couldn't positively ID them - 
even when viewing them through my scope.  The conditions were horrible for 
viewing.  I knew the birds were grebes, and my initial impression is that 
they were perhaps Horned Grebes.  But the more I looked the more I suspected 
that they might very well be a Western Grebe and a Red-necked Grebe. What 
did I do?  I digiscoped a bunch of images, rushed home and transferred the 
images to my laptop, and then it was clear that the birds really were 
Western and Red-necked Grebes - a fact confirmed over the course of the next 
few days when both grebes were much closer!  But I counted them on my CBC on 
the day of the initial sighting, and notified wisbirdn about their presence, 
prior to being able to positively ID them in the field (but after confirming 
ID on my computer).

2) When grandson Oliver pointed out a grouse while we were hiking, I simply 
assumed that he was seeing a Ruffed Grouse.  My bad eyes could only see a 
speck in front of me.  I had no time to check the bird with my bins, but 
opted instead to raise my camera (with only a moderate telephoto lens), and 
squeeze off a few shots.  It wasn't until we were back in the camper, 
reviewing the images on my dSLR's LCD, that I knew the grouse was a Spruce 
Grouse.  So I counted it!  (It was a "lifer" and I have Oliver to thank!) 
The next day, we retraced our steps, and came across the Spruce Grouse 
again - this time only a couple feet away!

3) On another occasion, while scanning a flock of peeps, I assumed that all 
the peeps were Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers.  The view was bad, and I 
decided to take a few images.  Later, back at home, it was clear that I also 
had a couple of other peeps (Bairds or White-rumped, I don't recall which 
right now).  I decided to list this other peep on my day's count.

Acually, even as I write I recall yet another incident, one that took place 
at Duluth's Hawk Ridge.  I had been watching kettles of Broad-winged Hawks, 
and decided to take some shots.  Later, back home again, it was clear that a 
Sharpie or two were in the mix.  So I listed them too.  (Of coruse in this 
case I'd seen other Sharpies the same day.)

What I'm discovering as I get older, and my eyesight deteriorates, is that 
some birds are too distant, or fly away too quickly, to ID in the field.  In 
other cases (a flock of peeps, a kettle of hawks, a lone Bohemian Waxwing 
mixed in with a flock of Cedar Waxwings), I can simply miss what's there. 
(I even recall photographing a bunch of dabbling and diving ducks on Delavan 
Lake one time, and failing to see the Green-winged Teal back in the reeds. 
Guess what?  Yes, back home it was crystal clear that the teal was really 
there ... so I counted it for the day's outing.)  Digital photography has 
helped me see better, quite a number of times.  (Another case in point: 
Seeing a bird perched in a tree too far away to ID ... then photographing it 
with my camera and long lens, zooming in on the LCD, and seeing what I 
couldn't see with my bins!  At least this occurs in real time, while 
actually birding.)

All this might very well get more complicated to untangle when it comes to 
competitive birding - such as May Day or Big Day Counts.  Where does/should 
one draw the line?  What are the rules, and where are the boundaries?

Any thoughts?

Wayne Rohde
Walworth, WI 

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[wisb] The "Ethics" of Birding

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