[mou] Re: Owls/people and NYC's Boreal

[Phil Jeffrey]

On Jan 11th, Mike Hendrickson wrote:

>Also I don't believe any of these Boreal Owls will be like the owl in 
>Central Park, NY where hundreds are mobbing the owl for listing, photos and 
>to just say they saw one.

To correct this statement, the owl is not being mobbed.  We (i.e. the list 
owners of Metro Birding Briefs - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/btblue, Lloyd 
Spitalnik; and eBirdsNYC - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebirdsnyc i.e. 
myself) made a decision to disclose the location of the Central Park Boreal 
Owl to the wider birding community, and it's of some considerable relief 
that the bird has not been harassed despite many hundreds of birders coming 
to see the owl.  It probably helps that it there's been a fairly significant 
presence by one or more Central Park birders (especially Lloyd) much of the 
time, which serves to dampen the over-enthusiasm of a very small minority.  
The birders have also made sure that there is no rat poison put down while 
the owl is present either by the Parks Dept/Conservancy or the local 
restaurant.  Long-eared Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls use/have used the 
park as a winter roosting location and there are a few re-introduced Eastern 
Screech Owls, so owls in the park are not unprecedented.  We have, however, 
been keeping a fairly close eye on this particular owl for obvious reasons.

And it's true, some of us have an interest in the Boreal for listing, 
photography and just plain curiosity.
None of this is bad as long as the welfare of the bird is foremost in our 
minds.  The bird also serves as yet another inadvertent opportunity to 
educate the general public as they pass by, just like Pale Male.

I'll gladly answer questions about it off-list.

Phil Jeffrey
NYC and Princeton
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebirdsnyc - eBirdsNYC
http://www.philjeffrey.net/boreal.html - pictures of the Boreal in question