[nysbirds-l] Snowy Owl Dust-up: Mea Culpa
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, I seem to have shot the Archduke Ferdinand. As the majority of my life-birding experience has involved walking around the abandoned fields and parks of Houston sans binoculars, guidebook or camera, this whole arena of birders vs. photographers, publicity vs privacy etc is all pretty new to me. There was enough open space and deficit of interest in Houston that I nor the birds were ever bothered in our encounters with each other. I now live in the largest and most densely populated city in these United states. I also have since joined the binoculars and guide crew, but not yet the listing crew or the photo crew. This was my first foray into the reporting crew, and I can't say it has been overwhelmingly successful. Maybe it is the fact of this city's density, the need to connect with others, the need to contrast steel and concrete with "wildlife" that has led to a greater participation in the birding community. One thing is certain, this participation has been largely based upon and shepherded by the Internet. Through eBird, listings, and the great work of bloggers such as Mr.Jett and Mr.Dorosh I have been introduced to a different sort of exploration and viewing, and been introduced to some of NYC's more amazing "natural" places, all the more special for their inherent paradox. Would I have explored the amazingly abandoned Calvert Vaux if not for a posting of a rare white-fronted goose? Probably not. Due to this, my being "brought up" in this community due to the internet, I felt obliged to return something and share the sighting of these owls. I would argue that indeed there are times where birds should not be reported to the larger community. If I were to espy a nesting pair of heath hens in Flushing Meadows, you can be certain I would go to the proper wildlife authorities instead of announcing their presence to the general public. Contrarily, we are now experiencing an unusually large irruption of Snowy Owls in the states, with hundreds and maybe even thousands of sightings being reported. Snowy Owls are also not an endangered species. In this context and light it didn't feel it wrong to post about the owls. In addition, I believe that there no longer exists any square mile of land anywhere in the tri-state area or perhaps in the world that can truly be called "wild." Nature at this point in history exists in a tenuous struggle with mankind at every level. If the goal is the conservation and expansion of spaces in which Nature takes a larger role, Man must first be enlisted to this purpose. In this light it would be in our best interest to show Snowy Owls to anyone who wants to see them, and indeed to those who could care less about them, for nothing educates like raw experience. To those who wish to keep the Owls to yourselves, you will literally not be missed, but to announce your owl-retention in public is tantalizingly close to the old-style biblical example of hypocrisy. If you engage others then spaces such as the Ridgewood reservoir and Four Sparrow Marsh will have more advocates instead of less. The context should be one of active as opposed to passive participation in these hybrid spaces. If it is your judgement that ignorant behavior is being practiced in the field you will feel better if you at least talk to the person. Perhaps in the future if sensitive birds are to be posted, there should be some precautions taken to make sure the educational experience is as enlightening as possible, to those in predator-photography mode, dog-running stick breaking mode and naive-with-open eyes child mode all. There needs to be a greater forum for these arenas of interaction. Now about those black rails I saw on the lower east side.. Archer M. Brooklyn, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Snowy Owl Dust-up: Mea Culpa
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, I seem to have shot the Archduke Ferdinand. As the majority of my life-birding experience has involved walking around the abandoned fields and parks of Houston sans binoculars, guidebook or camera, this whole arena of birders vs. photographers, publicity vs privacy etc is all pretty new to me. There was enough open space and deficit of interest in Houston that I nor the birds were ever bothered in our encounters with each other. I now live in the largest and most densely populated city in these United states. I also have since joined the binoculars and guide crew, but not yet the listing crew or the photo crew. This was my first foray into the reporting crew, and I can't say it has been overwhelmingly successful. Maybe it is the fact of this city's density, the need to connect with others, the need to contrast steel and concrete with wildlife that has led to a greater participation in the birding community. One thing is certain, this participation has been largely based upon and shepherded by the Internet. Through eBird, listings, and the great work of bloggers such as Mr.Jett and Mr.Dorosh I have been introduced to a different sort of exploration and viewing, and been introduced to some of NYC's more amazing natural places, all the more special for their inherent paradox. Would I have explored the amazingly abandoned Calvert Vaux if not for a posting of a rare white-fronted goose? Probably not. Due to this, my being brought up in this community due to the internet, I felt obliged to return something and share the sighting of these owls. I would argue that indeed there are times where birds should not be reported to the larger community. If I were to espy a nesting pair of heath hens in Flushing Meadows, you can be certain I would go to the proper wildlife authorities instead of announcing their presence to the general public. Contrarily, we are now experiencing an unusually large irruption of Snowy Owls in the states, with hundreds and maybe even thousands of sightings being reported. Snowy Owls are also not an endangered species. In this context and light it didn't feel it wrong to post about the owls. In addition, I believe that there no longer exists any square mile of land anywhere in the tri-state area or perhaps in the world that can truly be called wild. Nature at this point in history exists in a tenuous struggle with mankind at every level. If the goal is the conservation and expansion of spaces in which Nature takes a larger role, Man must first be enlisted to this purpose. In this light it would be in our best interest to show Snowy Owls to anyone who wants to see them, and indeed to those who could care less about them, for nothing educates like raw experience. To those who wish to keep the Owls to yourselves, you will literally not be missed, but to announce your owl-retention in public is tantalizingly close to the old-style biblical example of hypocrisy. If you engage others then spaces such as the Ridgewood reservoir and Four Sparrow Marsh will have more advocates instead of less. The context should be one of active as opposed to passive participation in these hybrid spaces. If it is your judgement that ignorant behavior is being practiced in the field you will feel better if you at least talk to the person. Perhaps in the future if sensitive birds are to be posted, there should be some precautions taken to make sure the educational experience is as enlightening as possible, to those in predator-photography mode, dog-running stick breaking mode and naive-with-open eyes child mode all. There needs to be a greater forum for these arenas of interaction. Now about those black rails I saw on the lower east side.. Archer M. Brooklyn, NY -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Snowy Owls at Breezy Point Tip
Based on a recent eBird listing, my friend Devin and I rolled the dice and went out to Breezy Point for what we assumed was a slim chance at finding an Snowy Owl. To our surprise and delight we saw not one owl but two. The first was a bit smaller and slightly mottled with black. It was sitting on some old chunks of wood on the third dune back from the beach, off to the right of the diagonal path that cuts from the main sand road to the shore. The second owl was further to the west, once again on the third dune back from the beach. This owl was larger and was completely white. There's a good chance this was the owl that was hanging out at Jones beach previously. This owl was sitting in a particularly picturesque spot with the wonder-wheel and the parachute jump in the background. Both birds were easily viewable from the dune closest to the shore. It was made sure that all onlookers kept distance so as to not persuade these owls to shove off again. Nevertheless the second owl seemed a little bit nervous and walked around a bit, making a slight hop at one point. Cheers, Archer M. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Snowy Owls at Breezy Point Tip
Based on a recent eBird listing, my friend Devin and I rolled the dice and went out to Breezy Point for what we assumed was a slim chance at finding an Snowy Owl. To our surprise and delight we saw not one owl but two. The first was a bit smaller and slightly mottled with black. It was sitting on some old chunks of wood on the third dune back from the beach, off to the right of the diagonal path that cuts from the main sand road to the shore. The second owl was further to the west, once again on the third dune back from the beach. This owl was larger and was completely white. There's a good chance this was the owl that was hanging out at Jones beach previously. This owl was sitting in a particularly picturesque spot with the wonder-wheel and the parachute jump in the background. Both birds were easily viewable from the dune closest to the shore. It was made sure that all onlookers kept distance so as to not persuade these owls to shove off again. Nevertheless the second owl seemed a little bit nervous and walked around a bit, making a slight hop at one point. Cheers, Archer M. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
