Re: [MDOsprey] Apology to the list

Steve Pretl (Spretl@erols.com)
Tue, 1 Jun 1999 19:17:01 -0400 (EDT)


Marshall - 

What a thoughtful, heartfelt and well-written apology!

I largely agree with your assessment of your original actions -- but you
have now made up for them nobly, giving all of us a really powerful
reminder!!  Let's all determine to keep things in perspactive.  A rare bird
sighting is a fine and satisfying thing, but there are other values in life,
not the least of which is the protection of the very environment and living
beings that give us so much pleasure.  Marshall, you've set a fine example
today with your apology.

Steve Pretl
Potomac, MD - soon in Washington, DC

At 03:52 PM 6/1/99 EDT, you wrote:
>Hello all,
>
>I wanted to apologize for the extremely poor judgment I used in a 5/5/99 
>email in which I reported refinding the Le Conte's Sparrow at E. A. Vaughn 
>W.M.A. in Worcester County.  
>
>First of all, in my urge to obtain photos to document the bird I think I was 
>overly eager to flush the bird and surely caused it undue stress by repeated 
>flushings.  Given its tendency not to fly I also ran the risk of causing the 
>bird harm should it choose not to fly.  I have heard enough stories of 
>trampled rails to believe this is a very real danger with a sparrow as well.  
>
>Worse yet, my urge to share the bird with other people severely clouded my 
>judgment and resulted in a careless and deplorable post.  The worst part was 
>that I went so far as to suggest that two people drag a rope in order to 
>flush the bird.  Not only would that single bird would be harassed far too 
>much, but the small margin of habitat along the pond edge would surely be 
>adversely effected.  I am glad that, to my knowledge, no one followed my 
>suggestion, but am disappointed in myself that I even suggested it.  
>
>In part I think I was influenced by attending one of the Yellow Rail walks at 
>Anahuac NWR this past April in Texas.  On that, a section of the Yellow Rail 
>Prairie had been cordoned off for the walks and once or twice a week a group 
>of 20 or so people were taken out there to try to flush Yellow Rails.  A rope 
>was dragged and the others fanned out to try to flush the birds. In addition 
>to seeing several Yellow Rails, a number of other interesting and usually 
>secretive species were scared up.  It was that experience that prompted my 
>comment about rope dragging at Vaughn, which, in any event, is a much more 
>easily impacted area. I surely enjoyed seeing those species but wonder now 
>what the impact of those walks really is.  	Measures are taken to 
>minimize the impact. No bird is flushed more than once or twice.  They rotate 
>them between different areas over different years, but do use the same 
>section through a given spring season.  Surely those birds are territorial in 
>winter and it is likely the same rails that are jumped each week (although, I 
>recognize that most which are seen are migrants).  I talked to the leader for 
>a while afterwards and he said that no birds have been injured in the walks, 
>but one has to wonder.  Could it really be as benign as they claim?
>
>I let excitement about a rare find and the urge to share the sighting color 
>my judgment decidedly poor.  I am very sorry for having done so and would 
>like to say that I in no way condone my behavior and actions.  I was 
>thoughtless and careless in my post and overly eager in my pursuit of the 
>bird that day.  While I do think documentation of rare finds is of value, it 
>should not be at the expense of the bird's well being.  
>
>Good birding,
>
>Marshall Iliff
>miliff@aol.com
>