[cobirds] Re: Everyone loves owls!

Peter,

These are good thoughts.  I don't wish to belabor anything but I was in the vicinity when the homeowner mentioned in Dave Leatherman's original post was talking to the group.  I've been at this particular road many times (over 200 eBird checklists submitted) and am pretty familiar with the typical rhythms and ebb and flow of visitors. Yes, there were a lot of people and a lot of cars but I would guess up to a third of the people and the cars were non-birders, non-photographers who were out for a stroll or walking their dogs (it was a really nice day!)  To your point, most passers-by were very interested, asking questions, etc.  I certainly wouldn't characterize it as a "mob scene"

 My first sighting of the pygmy-owl this winter was on October 4 and one (and recently two) birds have been present off and on all winter and the sightings have been anywhere in a roughly one mile stretch along the road.  Over the last week or so, the birds seem to have decided to hang out right in front of some poor guy's house.

Since October, I've encountered one or more pygmy-owls on 9 of my 21 visits to this location. The birds have never seemed very bothered by people and, in fact,  regularly were seen very close to (even right over) the road. I've never seen any photographers at this location who were off the road or "crawling up under branches."   In general, birders, photographers, and passers-by have been pretty well behaved.

Carl Bendorf

Longmont

On Friday, March 4, 2022 at 11:13:28 AM UTC-7 Peter Burke wrote:

COBirders,

The pygmy-owl scene in Lyons is one of those times when "our" hobby spills over into the public consciousness. We see this when a rare bird shows up in a residential area, or when a group of non-birders happen across a group of birders. In these moments we can focus on what we have in common or what makes us different. 

Somewhere in all this conflict is an opportunity for us birders to share our knowledge and appreciation of birds with these other folks who are clearly interested, but maybe less familiar with some of the finer points of birding etiquette. Sharing a scope or binoculars is a great way to strike up conversation.

The homeowners on Old Saint Vrain Rd. have been putting up with us birders for decades. Many of them have politely engaged with us and forged an alliance of sorts. Perhaps we can do the same with the photographers drawn to this location with the dream of getting good photos of an otherwise hard to see bird.

On a personal note, I too am a birder+photographer. It takes a while to learn when it is ok to approach birds and when it's not, and part of that process is feedback from other photographers, birders, homeowners, etc. If we provide that feedback constructively, then we're helping. 

Good birding everyone,

Peter Burke

CFO Board of Directors

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