Thanks to everyone for your support and understanding of this sensitive issue.
Ronnie, Thank you for pointing this out, absolutely, in fact I neglected to mention this in my original email and was intending to send a second email asking anyone who agrees and is willing, to cross-post to the various other social media outlets (none of which I belong to). Elliot, As far as the eBird control is concerned, this is out of my purview, but I would ask the eBird folks reading this whether this is something they consider important enough to consider. Darlene, YES, I believe keeping the lists hidden from public will work. All, I encourage everyone to call DEC if they see anything illegal going on. Long Island is DEC Region 1. The general number is 631-444-0200. They can at least direct you to the enforcement number, which I seem to have misplaced after calling them a previous year when we saw hunters gunning down dozens of Canada Geese coming in to their decoys from their perch in a field. Turned out it was legal at that time. The hunters just piled them all up and left them there, not sure what happened to the carcasses later. Patricia Lindsay On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 10:02 AM Ronnie Almonte <batresalmo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you Pat, can I post a version of this on social media, in order to > spread the word? > > On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 8:12 AM Patricia Lindsay <gelocheli...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> With the hunting season now upon us, and the Waterfowl Count starting on >> Saturday, we would like to make a serious plea that birders and >> photographers not post reports of rare geese from Riverhead and the East >> End of Long Island on eBird, Facebook, this listserv, or any other social >> media platform until the end of the season. >> >> It has become very clear here on LI that hunters have caught on to eBird, >> the listservs, and social media, and are targeting the rare geese (and >> ducks also) using information obtained from birders. One of the only >> Pink-footed Geese in the Riverhead area last winter was shot this way, and >> we personally know of other cases involving Ross's and Barnacle Geese (and >> King Eiders, etc.). A Greylag Goose, very likely of wild origins and if so, >> extremely rare, was also shot in this area a few years ago. >> >> The problem is most acute in the Riverhead area and on the South Fork, >> from November to the end of hunting season (9 Feb for Canada Goose, 6 Mar >> for Snow Goose). We understand that the birding community does not want war >> with the hunters, but the situation here is very sensitive--everybody knows >> the very limited number of specific fields used by the geese, and it seems >> a shame that the rarer species are being exposed to this level of danger. >> >> We would suggest Cackling, Ross's, Barnacle, Pink-footed, and Greater >> White-fronted Geese, and of course any mega rare species, seen in these >> areas not be reported until hunting season ends or at least until the geese >> seem to have moved on. >> >> Cackling and Greater White-fronted Goose may be taken legally as part of >> the Canada Goose bag limits. Snow and Ross's Geese may be taken as part of >> the Snow Goose bag limits. The others are not listed as game species on the >> DEC website so apparently were taken illegally. >> >> By making this one small sacrifice, we might just be able to save a few >> birds and get to enjoy them longer. >> >> Thanks for your consideration. >> >> Best, >> >> Shai Mitra and Pat Lindsay >> Bay Shore >> >> >> -- >> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> *Archives:* >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >> -- >> > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
