All,
It has become clear with the addition of many new birders over the past few
months, that our wording on the 'sensitive species' issue was inadequate.
We have tried several times to supplement the rule with well-thought out
and reasoned articles by eBird and others, but have still bumped up against
problems of late. We initially tried to keep it simple, because providing
an exhaustive or comprehensive list of what could be a sensitive species is
impossible and depends on the exact circumstances. However, we now want to
try and provide additional and specific guidance on this subject. The rule
has been modified to include several examples of posts that we consider
inappropriate for this group. This is not an exhaustive list, but it
contains some of the issues that are frequently encountered.
____________
5) The posting of sensitive species or highly sought species on sensitive
habitat or private property should be avoided. Examples of inappropriate
posts include:
- Roosting locations of Barn, Long-eared or Northern Saw-whet Owls
- Breeding locations of Golden-winged Warblers or Henslow's Sparrows
that can't be accessed from public roads or public trails
- Exact nest locations of any species that can't be viewed from a
safe distance
Repeat or blatant offenders may be temporarily suspended from the group.
Please contact a list moderator if you have questions or concerns.
____________
How to interpret these rules - This is not part of the guideline but will
be offered here for clarification.
Can I post that I found a Saw-whet Owl on Assateague Island? - Yes
Can I post that I found a Saw-whet Owl in a cedar at the Bayside Picnic
area of Assateague? - No
Can I post that I heard a Barn Owl while driving along Elliott Island Road
at night? - Yes
Can I post that I found a Barn Owl in a barn in northern Montgomery County?
- No
Can I post that I found a roosting Long-eared Owl at Terrapin Park? - No
Can I post that I heard a Golden-winged Warbler in May while driving along
a public road in Garrett County? Yes
Can I post that I found breeding Golden-winged Warblers
after trespassing on private property? - No
Can I post that I found a Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest at Hughes Hollow?
- Yes
Can I post that I found a Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest eye-level on a
dogwood tree branch overhanging the parking lot of Hughes Hollow? - No
I hope these examples will help new comers get acquainted with what we
consider inappropriate. Again, this is not an exhaustive list. Feel free to
contact us if you have questions. Full group guidelines can be found here *
http://tinyurl.com/aqngqbr* and also in the footer of every message sent to
the group. Since we are still adding 20-30 new people per month to the
group, we will also start sending out a Guideline Reminder once a month.
Best,
Jared Fisher
(on behalf of MDBirding Moderators)
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