[CT Birds] Owls yet again...

[Julie Keefer]

>1) It has been proven repeatedly that too much human interference can
>disrupt and kill owls. It is what it is. The precaution in place is to
>protect them for valid reasons, put there by those who provide the service.
>This can happen to any bird, yes, of course, but they are particularly
>sensitive.

Really all this says is reporting owls may have an adverse affect on the
individual owl, which sucks.  But in the grand scheme of things, this will
have no measurable effect on owls as a whole.   Other than Long-eared Owls,
no other owl is listed as endangered in CT, though a couple others are
listed as threatened or of special concern.  But Long-eared Owls in general
(outside CT) are not endangered and neither are those other owls.  So an owl
or two being disrupted by some birders or other humans in CT isn't really
all that significant.  I feed the birds in my yard.  That is technically
human interference.  And because of it, a fair number of Blue Jays have died
because the local hawks have discovered a great snack bar.  I have pictures.
So, should I stop feeding the birds because it is killing Blue Jays?  Would
those Blue Jays have been eaten if I didn't feed them and encourage them to
congregate in my yard through my interference with nature?  Same goes for
reporting owls.  Not all Blue Jays get eaten because I feed the birds, but
some do.  Not all owls will die a horrible, tragic death because someone on
a bird list told others where they were. 

This is clearly one of those topics birders will have to agree to disagree
about.  Another list I am on is debating whether or not birds "count" and
can be put on your life list/state list or not.  It is a very heated debate,
just as this one is.  If we all thought the same way, our world would be
pretty dull.  I have no problem with the list putting rules in place and
making people follow them.  Emails lists would be total chaos otherwise and
completely worthless and we would get no useful bird data.  

There is however an easy solution for the owl dilemma.  Someone could simply
go create another bird list for CT birders where it is allowed to report owl
sightings...

Julie Keefer
Lyme, CT