Hello Ontario Birders,
We have received quite a lot of feedback about last week's report of the Hawk Owl and the large number of people who subsequently went to view the owl. We have heard concern about possible harm to the bird, the surrounding habitat and effects on residents because of crowding the bird, trampling the surrounding vegetation and lack of consideration of non-birders who also use the road. We want to remind all observers to follow the guidelines in OFO's Code of Ethics at: http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/aboutus.ethics when observing the bird (or any other birds). Please do not risk harm to the bird, respect property rights and be considerate of other observers and the local residents. We can all enjoy the bird without damaging the surrounding environment and upsetting others. The OFO Board will be reviewing our Code of Ethics and reporting policies, particularly with regard to owls at our January meeting. Please send any and all feedback to me at [email protected]. We really want to hear from you. Good birding, Lynne Lynne Freeman OFO President [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
