Thanks Norm!

It's good to know that nothing unfortunate happened, as far as we know.

I mostly agree with the idea of being careful about reporting owls, but I
think the line should be drawn while considering roosting sites vs.
reporting heard birds such as Barred and Great Horned at a local park or
general area.  I would never report a bird I found that was roosting to
specific location, but I don't see the harm in mentioning something like: "I
heard a Barred Owl calling from the area of ABC Park..."  It doesn't give
the reader much of a shot at disturbing a roosting bird but it still lets
folks know where they might be able to hear a Barred Owl if they are so
inclined.

I am not sure if the stated rule draws that distinction, but of course I
would respect it either way.  :-)

Jay Keller
Arlington, VA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Norm Saunders" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 4:40 AM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] A new rule for MDOsprey


> Jay Keller asks:
>
> > Quick question: Did any harm actually come to the Long-eared Owls?
>
> That's probably one of those questions we'll never know the answer to.
> I think the possibility of harm was greatly diminished by the very
> thoughtful way that Bob Ringler handled the situation.  Nonetheless,
> now is the time to back away from these birds and leave them alone.
> If they are going to nest at that location, then any further
> disturbance might likely affect their attempts.
>
> What we don't know is how many people went there on their own looking
> for the owls.  Some people are not skilled enough to find the birds
> without flushing them or are not scrupulous enough to avoid close
> approaches for the possibility of a photo.  We all need to take a look
> at our behavior and our ethics.
>
> Best,
> Norm Saunders