[mou] - Could this be why people don't post.......

[Sandy Kuder]

To the MOU listserve.....
   
  Attached is the personal reply that the MOU Moderator sent me.  Normally, I would not post such a thing...HOWEVER....since he is the moderator of this listserve, it explains alot. 
   
  p.s.   Maybe this isn't the forum for an amateur birdwatcher such as myself.   Or the organization.  
   
  Happy Birding, 
  Sandy Kuder
   
  
Terence Brashear <birdnird at yahoo.com> wrote:
        Sandy

There is a HUGE difference between unknowingly spooking a bird and spooking one that is in a known location.

I located the bird in a very hard to find spot it, it took me 2 hours to find it, and after letting people know about within a half hour, there was a beaten trail leading right up to the bird.  I had to tell one person with a point and shoot digital camera to back off.  I feel terrible now.  The 10 people that were there and could not find it would have told people it was gone.  Instead I told people the EXACT location.  Cell phones opened and the calls were made.

When I left there were 20 people standing around and more people on the trail heading to where the bird was; around 10:30-10:45AM.  This was not an unknowing person not seeing the bird and spooking it.  This was someone not respecting the bird's space and getting too close.  By 11AM the bird was gone.  How is that a short-sighted assumption?  A huge group of people shows up and in 15 minutes the bird is gone?  Do you really think I was making flippant assumptions?  Give me a break!

I have worked with bird for years, handling them and doing field research for USFW, State of Iowa, State of MN, USGS.  My degree is in Avian Conservation.  Do you think I was just spouting off?  What sort of background do you have to ASSUME anything about me?
   
Terry Brashear
Hennepin County, MN
http://www.naturepixels.com
birdnird AT yahoo.com   

  ----- Original Message ----
From: Sandy Kuder <fivekuders at yahoo.com>
To: Terence Brashear <birdnird at yahoo.com>; mou-net at moumn.org
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 1:42:12 PM
Subject: Re: [mou] Spooked LEOW

  I went to MAC park about 11:30 yesterday.  Ran into a couple of other birders, no one was seeing the Owl.  Spent a couple of  hours enjoying the park (I never realized it was there).  I was about to leave around 2 or so when I heard a crow making a racket not too far in front of me.  Continued to the vincinity of where the crow was and just stood there for a couple of minutes.  The crow wasn't diving at anything.  After a bit the crow flew away and I still stood still.  Just looking and listening.  Didn't even raise my bins.   Eventually, I took one step.
   
  W H O S H.  
   
  Guess what?
   
  An owl was no more than 10 feet in front of me and I never saw it until it flew. 
   
  Does that make me an awful person?  Should I feel shame because it was so well camoflauged that I didn't see it until it flushed?   Nope.    I'll tell ya what I felt.  Frustrated at the fact that I knew it was an owl, but never got my bins on it.  So I can't tell ya if it was a Long-Eared or not.  
   
  But I'll tell you how I feel now.  Frustrated and a little angry at the short-sighted assumptions that some birders make about other people.   
   
  And you know what they say about assumptions....................
   
  Happy Birding,
  Sandy Kuder
  

Terence Brashear <birdnird at yahoo.com> wrote:
    It appears someone got too close to the Long-eared Owl at the MAC park in Crystal this morning. I heard that people looking for it around 11AM could not find it.  I was with 3 other people that found it in a different location around 9AM and we were kind enough to let people know the location - it was not easy to find.  I left at 10AM and it was still sitting calmly in the area we found it.

Whomever spooked this bird, and you know who you are,  you should be ashamed of yourselves.

I only hope it returns and can be seen by more people.

Please use common sense when you approach birds.

Regards,
   
Terry Brashear
Hennepin County, MN
http://www.naturepixels.com
birdnird AT yahoo.com
Moderator MOU-NET


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