Dan, as always right on point. This is not a photographer issue or birder issue but an evolution of social media. There is a trend that everyone feels that a specific location is required when reporting a bird. You should NEVER give specific locations in a neighborhood without speaking to the homeowner first. Not everyone is comfortable with 100 pairs of binoculars focused in their backyard. Would you??? The Pine Warbler in Denver is a perfect example. I refound the bird the first day reported and had a great conversation with the homeowner. He stated he wanted the location placed in Ft. Logan like the finder did. He did not feel comfortable with the idea of people staring at the feeders in the frontyard. But in the last few weeks people have been giving out the specific location/home address.
If anyone was in Broomfield for the Sedge Wren, you understand. A friend sent me a disturbing video of ten birders in a circle surrounding the bird, and then counting to ten and taking a step inward everytime, closing the circle, and attempting to get this poor bird to flush. The individual who sent me the video never got the bird and no longer goes to these situations. Once you report an exact location, you can expect sometimes hundreds of people decending on the location, many to see or photograph a beautiful bird, get a lifer, or for social needs. I have many owl locations that I would never give specific locations on. Like Dan stated, it is a personal decision that needs to be thought out. Once you give the specific location, it's unfair to point fingers at birders or photographers. I know many people that don't report specific locations for different reasons including protecting a patch, the bird, or neighborhood. There's nothing wrong with using a hotspot and have people "bird" and maybe find something else.
Mark Chavez
Lakewood-Green Mtn
http://jaeger29.smugmug.com/
Lakewood-Green Mtn
http://jaeger29.smugmug.com/
On 03/05/2022 3:18 PM 'Dan Stringer' via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com> wrote:
There's good food for thought in this thread which we should keep with us on the trail. And when we're in people's neighborhoods. To me, whether it becomes disruptive to the bird and/or property owners is often determined before anyone arrives. Since we know that the birding community is ever-larger, more connected with intel traveling fast and far, more discretion re: what we put out there these days might be necessary.
My comments aren't so much about this specific owl or this location, rather that we can often determine ahead of time what type of scenario would develop and choose when to lay low. I appreciate when someone provides info about an uncommon bird and I like to share interesting sightings too. What owls and other species not to list, breeding situations, proximity to neighbors or viewing area, etc. is always situational and often above my pay-grade but my takeaway is when we decide it's best not to post something, none of the issues we're discussing will occur.
Dan StringerLarkspur, CO
On Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 11:42:37 AM UTC-7 Dave Leatherman wrote:
It has come to my attention that photographers, some of whom may be birders, are causing a problem west of Lyons in their lust for a pygmy-owl. At the risk of pissing some of you off, and causing even more people to seek this bird by publicizing it, I ask for restraint. The person who called me is not a birder but a guy I used to work with who knows I am into birds. He owns property bordering Route 7 w of town where he says 16 cars full of loud-talking people pointing big cameras, rutting the right-of-way that he maintains are back again today, the way they have been in numbers for days (weeks?). He is upset and I don't blame him. He says that whoever these people are, they don't really care about the bird, that they act very entitled, that this is all just about getting the photo and social. In short these sorts of situations give birders a black eye and they are becoming more commonplace. If anyone reading this knows about the situation first hand, has been there, has a comment or rebuttal I can pass on to my friend, I am all ears. My friend hasn't called the sheriff yet but is about to and it makes me sad to think "we" might have caused a reasonable person with deep sentiments for conservation and the natural world to be so upset.
Dave LeathermanFort Collins--
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