Note: For Information Purposes Only: Per resolution 2020-099 Pules and Regulations: it's unlawful to "molest, pursue, or disturb" wildlife on Boulder County Parks and Open Space properties.
Link: https://bouldercounty.gov/open-space/parks-and-trails/rules-and-regulations/ <http://Rules%20&%20Regulations> Violations? Contact their rangers at 303-441-4444. Save this phone number in mobile devices. On Friday, November 4, 2022 at 8:07:12 AM UTC-6 [email protected] wrote: > I like Ted's article. A lot. To add another scenario: a yellow-crowned > night heron, an unusual bird for Boulder County but not for the nation, was > taking a frustrating first migration break along the shore of a pond in a > park in Hygiene. Lots of Colorado birders came to see it. A lifer for a few > of them (me.). The bird was lost, taking a few recovery during its first > migration. The spot along the shore was quiet, mostly protected, and there > was food in the water to eat. A person fishing in a boat near the shore > unknowingly approached the bird. The bird retreated deeply into the weeds, > disappointing its many "paparazzi". > > For all the care that I feel for this "rare" bird, I I must inadvertently > flush 1000 red-winged blackbirds, and 2000 starlings, each one a unique > creature with sensitivities similar to the precious rare one. I suspect , > rare or not, most birds defensively retreat toward a safe place many times > a day because an unexpected movement in the bush might be a coyote, a hawk, > an owl, a cat, or a rabid bird-eating human. It is not a perfect survival > strategy but it is a helpful one. There is reason not to intentionally > flush any bird, because we just honestly don't know whether it might cause > harm. Nevertheless, it happens a lot. We can never be a bird and know the > cost of a flush. It might be best to never look at a bird when we see > one, but to keep moving on. No harm, no fowl. Leave only footprints. And, > try to avoid leaving footprints. We just don't really know for sure, do we? > But, observation tells us that many kinds of birds, when we approach > quietly and slowly, just go on with their lives. And, it would seem that > the common birds, having been flushed, still hang around by the millions. > > There are some threatened species that we need to leave alone so that they > can better establish themselves into an area, raise their families, return > next Spring. I think the park rangers know more about them than most of us > because they aren't talking about them. There are the others, the unusual > migrants, the ones that we feel good to find, the ones that by chance chose > a more pubic place to take respite. Like young yellow-headed night herons. > Unfortunate birds, possibly strayed away from the usual migration path, > maybe ending up in a desirable wintering ground and maybe not. > > This heron in particular should not be carelessly flushed for at least one > additional good reason: because we respect other birders, their children > and friends. The stories they might tell. Some of them have travelled hours > for a chance to view it. The bird has wings. It will fly away soon. Good to > enjoy it as long as we can. > > David > > On Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 10:09:34 AM UTC-6 [email protected] > wrote: > >> Two things to add to the mix: >> >> 1) As far as I understand, for all wildlife, when you force them to >> run/fly away, they have to use energy that that wouldn’t have had to use >> otherwise. This is more problematic at certain times of year, such as the >> end of winter, when they’ve nearly depleted their fat stores (like when a >> dog chases a deer, for example). For birds, I’m guessing this is less about >> the season and more about the food source/weather issues of the last few >> days since they don’t really have fat stores unless they’re migrating. This >> isn’t something we normally take into account when we’re birding, so maybe >> this conversation is a good prompt to ask how we can step outside of our >> species and ask how we nature-lovers can be more empathetic to the daily >> challenges of the fauna we love. >> >> 2) Birds are used to the baseline disturbance - at Pella, that’s people >> walking/running/stopping (and sometimes dogs) along the path. Crawling >> along the bank is not within that baseline and is going to cause distress. >> Listening to the birds’ calls and the level of alert through the community >> is another way to gauge one’s impact. >> >> Noelle Nicholson >> Boulder, CO >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Nov 2, 2022, at 22:43, SeEttaM <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> Too much "Whatabout-ism" being preached. It is ridiculous that some keep >> making excuses for selfish persons who not only unnecessarily disturb some >> poor bird that ask to be a rarity but interfere with others who are wanted >> to see the bird also. Call out these selfish birders or photos, whichever >> they are. >> >> SeEtta Moss >> >> On Wed, Nov 2, 2022, 2:51 PM Kathleen Sullivan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> This morning at about 9:00 I was headed to Heron Pond to see the >>> Yellow-crowned Night Heron and witnessed another incident of bad birder >>> behavior. Two birders in the parking lot were just ahead of me and headed >>> to the North shore. I was going at it from the south shore and I met an >>> experienced birder who had just seen the bird (within the half hour) and >>> gotten a photo and she volunteered to take me right where she had seen it. >>> Then from across the pond we saw the two birders I had originally seen at >>> the parking lot crawling down the bank almost to the shoreline right where >>> the bird had been seen. >>> >>> >>> >>> We could not find it again with my scope and her good camera plus >>> another man came up who had also seen it from that spot just before. We >>> stood there for half an hour and the two were there for quite awhile but >>> the heron did not show obviously driven into the reeds. Amazingly, some >>> other people who did not appear to be birders but had a camera also crawled >>> down the bank. >>> >>> >>> >>> Folks, we’ve got to get a handle on this. Please do not approach birds, >>> play tape, or do anything that will disturb them. In addition if you see >>> something, say something. Thank you. I assure you that if those birders >>> were not on the other side of the pond, they would have gotten some >>> feedback from me! Sorry for this long post but it’s important. >>> >>> >>> >>> Kathleen “Sully” Sullivan, CFO member, former Board member Boulder >>> Audubon Chapter. >>> >>> Boulder, CO. >>> >>> >>> >>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for >>> Windows >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >>> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >>> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >>> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/20221102204042.B542C41B97E8%40mta1.indra.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/20221102204042.B542C41B97E8%40mta1.indra.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAAUvckpbSLmhxiu3vwqwhTCrD1GPGKxwgNo6EHYScVFNbvsuTw%40mail.gmail.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAAUvckpbSLmhxiu3vwqwhTCrD1GPGKxwgNo6EHYScVFNbvsuTw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> >> -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/956f6fdd-e03c-4e78-8be2-ad30753d1ebdn%40googlegroups.com.
