Great Gray Owl rules to follow PLEASE!!!

[Noah Gibb]

To all birders and photographers,

First of all, thanks to John Wyatt for finding this bird and getting the word out! I personally had never seen this species and am very fortunate that I had the opportunity this morning. Unfortunately, the experience was somewhat tainted due to a few individuals and eventually several not respecting the bird's space and livelihood (which should be the most important thing).

From what I could see, all the birders and birder/photographers that I know and birders that I don't know remained on the opposite side of the roads that have the cleared area in front of the trees where the gas lines run. The owl obviously hunts and perches mostly on the side with the cleared area. This is where it will get it's food. All of those birders (to my knowledge) stayed behind their cars that were also parked on the side of the road opposite the cleared area. I personally feel like if everyone that was present obeyed that rule that this relatively tame species of owl would have no problem with it. 

When Leon Mooney, Josh Fecteau, Marian Zimmerman, and I arrived at Stud Mill Rd after just getting word that the bird was present only a minute before, the bird was nowhere in sight. Of course there was a line of cars lined opposite the cleared side (which is where the cars should be), but there was a man in the woods heading towards the direction in which the bird apparently flushed and two photographers with huge lenses on tripods set up in and adjacent to the cleared area. This is NOT okay!

Luckily the owl came back out to the edge of the woods after several minutes, but what started with two photographers remaining on the "Owl's side of the road" even after being asked politely to back off eventually became a lineup of 8-12 large lensed individuals that ran after the bird every time it flushed! Every large lensed photographer was not guilty of this, however. 

Before we left, the bird had flown to a fairly short, wooden post right at the intersection of Stud Mill and County Rd and people proceeded to get in their cars or start jogging to the bird, eventually surrounding the owl from both roads on either side of it while photographers got as close as they could. From a distance, it was obvious that this bird was surrounded practically 360 degrees with maybe 30-50 feet around it. Cornering the bird like this more than significantly reduces it's ability to hunt and quite frankly confuses the heck out of it! This should be obvious.

Please remember that there is no excuse for putting added pressure on this bird; not if you are a professional photographer, semipro, amateur, or anything else. Most importantly for the bird's sake, but also because there are other birders and photographers (pro, semi, and amateur) present and/or on their way that are currently or are planning to keep a safe distance. Sometimes the best photos come from hanging back and being patient! Don't ruin it for everyone else!

I am hopeful that many other bird lovers out there can go see this owl for much of the remaining winter and enjoy it while at the same time, giving it the space that it deserves so that it can hunt in peace and continue to survive.

Sorry for the long post and please don't continue this thread unless absolutely necessary (feel free to reply to me offline if you would like)!

Bird haahd, but not so haahd that you scare off all the birds!

Noah Gibb-Freeport

 

[Noah Gibb]

I forgot one more thing to be fair to some observers that may have not read previous posts on Maine birds and only followed EBird reports or word of mouth. 

I thought maybe a suggestion would be for all who have seen the bird and use EBird to start their comments in the comments box with a brief plea for all to give the bird space. Feel free to use your own words or maybe copy and paste the following: PLEASE VIEW THIS BIRD FROM INSIDE OR BEHIND YOUR VEHICLE AND PARK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT THE BIRD IS HUNTING FROM. PLEASE GIVE THIS BIRD IT'S SPACE! ALL CARS PARK ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE ROAD (ALONG TREE LINE). THESE ARE ACTIVE LOGGING ROADS SO BE CAREFUL!

Hope this makes sense!

Noah Gibb

[Justin Lawson]

After spending last weekend in Montreal searching for a GGOW and booking another hotel in Quebec City for next weekend to search for their local bird I was comvinced to make a last minute dash for Maine's bird. After my son won his soccer championship game at 930pm last night we departed central Ma. 4.5 hours we went to bed...for 4 hours. trecked out with some other birder friends. searched for a bit finding nothing. a local guy said he had it 5 min prior down stud mill rd near the airstrip/firing range. the stream of cars stopped and waited. after some time people started to leave and search the roads. we then passed this spot again and my mother spotted it. stayed for about 1 min. life bird for all but most importantly for my 9 year old. in 2014 he did a little big year which got some local and national attention. interviewed by the newspaper telling them he wanted to see a Great Gray Owl more than anything. today was that day! to my knowledge as of 150pm it has not been seen again :(   

his blog was/is greatgreyowen.blogspot.com and then changing to greatgrayowen.blogspot.com (after a newspaper missprint)

good birding!

 

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Justin Lawson
Worcester, MA

[Aletha Boyle]

My husband and I had plans to go to see the bird today, but I said no, because I thought there might be a lot of observers, and I did not want to contribute to that, and I had seen a Great Gray in my town a few years ago.  HAD I WITNESSED THOSE INDIVIDUALS CHASING THE BIRD, I would have taken their photographs, and called the local game warden.  This is Hugely disrespectful to wildlife.  There is no excuse for it.  And I would have posted their photos on Facebook etc.  ALL BIRDERS ALERT, DO NOT BE TOLERANT OF THE PSYCHOS WHO MIGHT STRESS THE BIRD!  My two cents.  Aletha

[Seth Davis]

There were quite a few folks that got to see it today. I will admit I am guilty of not parking on the far side of the road as Noah suggests and I very much apologize for it. I should have read this before as I certainly don't want to be lumped into a crowd that harasses a bird. We were driving out and the bird was spotted on our right so we immediately stopped and took photos and scoped the bird from the near side. Outside of the small mob (6-8 folks) that was following the bird as it went perch to perch I personally felt people were pretty respectful. No one crossed into the brush to get closer, and at one point we got the bright idea to move down ahead of the owl and have the bird fly toward us, which worked for the most part. The only disturbances that irked me was a couple of kids in a loud pickup truck revving their engine and honking as all the people gawked at the owl (which is a separate concern with drawing too much attention of the locals, people have been known to shoot birds to get under the skin and piss off all of the people that show up...) and a separate instance where a person came up and was amazed, but talked really loud but eventually moved on. 

That said, the owl didn't seem to interested in it's following and at one point caught/ate a small rodent to the amazement of the crowd. So at the very least, it's eating despite the onlookers. Regardless, I do regret not keeping a further distance, I think it was a gut reaction to just stop and view it, but I hope I didn't contribute to any additional stress. 

On Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 9:20:00 PM UTC-5, Noah Gibb wrote:

[Andrea Bean]

This is so upsetting to hear.  When I was there Friday, other than the Audobon van, there were only about 8 or 9 other people there.  After seeing the owl, we left after about 35 minutes.   No one went off of the road and kept their distance.  What has been concerning me is I've not seen any photos of this owl eating.  I did hear that Saturday was the worse day and that people were chasing it as it was flying from tree to tree parallel to the road, obviously trying to hunt.  Short of trying to plead with people to please give this owl space, is there anything else that can be done?  I myself would suggest taking their photos and posting them publicly but I know a lot of people aren't comfortable doing that.  This is extremely distressing news.  Will this owl be OK?

On Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 9:20:00 PM UTC-5, Noah Gibb wrote:

[Justin Lawson]

the owl is fine and has been eating. calm down. if the bird wasnt eating it would be gone by now. hop on ebird and see photos of it eating and please stop trying to be the bird police to adults. what you should be focusing on if you wanna play detective is the locals that have a shooting range right behind where the owl was on sunday. a photographer that was there actually talked to them and asked them if they could please not shoot today at that location and they complied. there were numerous locals that seemed annoyed. worry about them shooting it so all us outsiders stop coming around. id say be careful with taking photos of people and their cars. i saw that happen last year in NYC while birding and the person got their ass beat for being a bird superhero. there are laws. if a person wants to walk on the other side of the street (literally 10 feet) they can. you exposing them for being legal makes you look like a fool. are they an asshole getting to close? sure if you wanna call them that but its not illegal. never forget. birds can fly. if they are pissed and unhappy there are 1000s of fields and marshes up there. its staying because its getting food and feels safe. bottom line. if people wanna protect birds please get a job application from the Maine's Warden service and imstead of the facebook bird group snitch. now go find some good birds !

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[Noah Gibb]

Hi all,

I apologize for starting this thread and had asked for it not to continue, but it did. I might as well add one more thing at this point though and that is that the most important thing here is the bird. That is why we all have gone up there? To see the bird? 

I just wanted to help lay down some ground rules since the initial requests made prior to mine apparently were not followed by some. And wanted to remind everyone why we drove to Milford. To see a Great Gray Owl which is a remarkable privilege and we owe it to that bird to give it space. 

I did not intend to sound like all photographers on Saturday were overstepping their bounds, but because 1 or 2 did, the photographers that showed up after joined that group and made a wall of people that may have been too close to the birds hunting territory. So let's all just try to respect this awesome bird and set an example to others that may show up after you. Let's not be selfish and worry about getting that amazing photo if it may interfere with the bird in any way. If the bird lands right next to you and you get a once in a lifetime opportunity, GREAT!! But if you look around a minute later and see the bird is surrounded 270 degrees by 30 other people, it may be time to start backing off.

I'm sure most everyone that has gone up has been on their best behavior, but we ALL need to be on our best behavior and remember this beautiful bird is why we are there.

Thanks for listening!

Noah Gibb_Freeport, Maine

[Rob O'Connell]

Spent the day up there looking and did not find the bird. Checked all the usual spots mentioned in ebird and other sources to no avail. A Barred owl was hunting the power lines beyond the shooting range which was active in the afternoon. There were a dozen or more other cars with birders and photographers alike and to my knowledge no one located the bird at all.

Thank you, 

Rob O'Connell

[Mark Szantyr]

 I have been following the discussion of the conditions for viewing the Great Gray Owl and since i have been considering coming up to see and photograph the bird,I wonder if a concise list of the viewing rules and rules for access can be posted. There has been so much back and forth of opinion about what is best for the bird,  i don't want to be in violation. 

For the record, i have seen three of these birds in my life and two have had pretty good crowds around them. One of them was more remote and there were only three of us around. We seemed of no consequence to the bird though a calling Red-tail had its interest. 

Mark Szantyr

"He's not my President"

[Kristen Lindquist]

There are no "rules" to follow, just calls of various magnitude for bird observers to use common sense. Lest this topic thread degenerate into something akin to the comment thread of a political post in these troubled times, I share here a link to the American Birding Association's Code of Birding Ethics and gently encourage that each of us to read them and take them to heart for the good of all birds, not just rare or cool ones:  

http://listing.aba.org/ethics/

Let's all play nicely, birders, do right by our birds, and do the Maine birding community proud.

Kristen

Kristen Lindquist Website: kristenlindquist.com Haiku blog: www.klindquist.blogspot.com

[Mark Szantyr]

I know the ABA code, having been a member for nearly 40 years, but there seems to be plenty of confusion or vaguery about where to park where not to park, where to stand, where not to stand, what land is public, what land is private, who has authority over what, etc. 

I know this is all being done with the best wishes for the bird but am just wondering, before i drive the 6 hours north, if there isn't a bit of over-protective shepherding going on. Hey. I have seen it happen down here for less spectacular birds. 

Mark Szantyr

"He's not my President"

[Derek and Jeannette Lovitch]

Whoa! What just happened here!?

How is this even remotely helpful or constructive? While several different opinions have been expressed on the listserve, they have been done so respectfully and while trying to help others, the bird, and the situation - regardless of which "side" people are on.

But apparently, these days we can't even have a conversation about birding without someone getting offended that people disagree with them and flying off the handle. This is completely unnecessary, completely counter-productive, and completely off-putting. It's just the type of response that leads to people not bothering to contribute to the birding community, post rarities, open their homes, or share sightings. And EXACTLY why I don't share sightings of owls and other sensitive species, to the detriment of the majority - as I wrote about earlier. 

Tone is hard to judge from email. While several other posts could be interpreted as sarcastic, passive-aggressive, or even downright mean, there is no question what the tone is here. 

As for the actual points raised here, it seems a waste of time to address them - whether pro or con - if this is the type of response someone would receive if they disagreed. Please take your own advice and try and have a conservation like an adult. Your opinion would be much more likely to be heard and respected. 

Respectfully, but rather disgusted at the moment,

Derek 

P.S. I also can't help but note how many strong opinions have been expressed here by people who don't otherwise contribute at all to the listserve  -finding, reporting, posting (including negative reports), or otherwise participating. Until it comes time where someone's perceived right to see every bird is called into question. Just sayin' a little leading by example might be in order. But that's just my opinion. 

 

*****************************************

 Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

 Freeport Wild Bird Supply

 541 Route One, Suite 10

 Freeport, ME 04032

 207-865-6000

 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com  

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From: Justin Lawson <justin...@gmail.com>
To: Andrea Bean <abe...@gmail.com>; Maine birds <maine...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: voodooc...@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2017 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Re: Great Gray Owl rules to follow PLEASE!!!

[Justin Lawson]

I guess tone doesnt come through online. Although people who know me would understand. I am a massachusetts birder and post all my sightings and many rarities to the listserv, ebird, and facebook groups (which i run for central mass). bottom line is go see a bird:the bird and enjoy it. if you see someone throwing a rock or object at the bird say something. use common sense. its that simple. you cant tell people what side of a road to stand on or park  you cant tell them what angle they can view the bird (360 coverage should be obvious to not do). by no means are any of us bird police (well maybe a couple). i had my 9 year old with me and he was beyond estatix seeing his number 1 lifer. he got a little loud with cheer. then i had to say to him to not be to loud so he didnt end up on an email chain. how pathetic is that? he gained national attention for his little big year in 2014 and was sponsored by Zeiss.  his blog was greatgreyowen.blogspot.com. interviewed by many newspapers. as you can see by his screename he loves great gray owls. here he was 3 years later after the blog and 5 years after learning about birds staring a his favorite bird. only 5 people at the time saw it (my family) till later. yet here he was being told to not be loud and stop dancing all because of this email. that is the complete opposite of what our community should be about. like i said. if its illegal say something if not then just deal with being annoyed. how annoying do you think it is when we are enjoying a bird alone and the birds being so peaceful then have 17 cars of birders jump out its annoying. not illegal. its the way it is. 

always more than one side of a story. sorry for my tone however principal is the same. 

[Roger Stevens]

My name is Roger Stevens and I am new to this group. I have followed this thread and would like to say I agree with everyone that for the most part, most people give this "celebrity" living on the Stud Mill Road the space and honor that it deserves...I spent a full day looking for this Owl, THE bucket list bird of mine, without success yesterday.The birders and photographers that I met were very helpful and kind with each other, exchanging cell Numbers in hopes of spotting and sharing good news of a spot.
We are for the most part, both birders and photographers, professionals, and we act accordingly. There are those who give us a bad name. It is exciting to see a bird that you may have never seen, or will ever again, and sometimes one forgets to give this special bird or animal it's space. And it is up to we professionals to remind them of this fact, gently but firmly.
I will probably be driving back and forth some days this week in search of this elusive beauty, hoping to take home a photo and a memory. But I will do so remembering that I must give space to this beautiful Winter visitor.Wish me luck!