An apology

[DAVID A LEATHERMAN]

The unusual "silver" red fox seen recently, and my post to this forum showing its picture, has brought something to a head.  I have received both good and bad feedback.  First of all, I did not discover this individual.  It has been around and is known to many, including the CPW personnel at the Moose Visitor Center.  The bad feedback involves how giving out the whereabouts of a creature like this, as we have seen with particularly charismatic birds like Snowy Owls, could lead to over pursuit by photographers, or worse, interest by poachers.  That was certainly NOT my intent and I am now wishing I had not shared the photo.  My bad.  Hopefully nothing happens that harms the animal or irritates the Moose Visitor Center personnel.  To the extent we birders have control over these two things, let's use our heads better than I did in posting the picture.  Nothing we can do about the people who monitor our sites and intentionally or unintentionally cause harm to individual creatures, habitats or neighbor relations.  We can, however, report transgressions if and when we see them.

Dave Leatherman

Fort Collins

[patrick...@gmail.com]

Dave

Thanks for your courageous post.  This is a nice segue to send a friendly reminder to all interested in viewing the Gunnison Sage-grouse.  There is a well established protocol that you can read at www.siskadee.org and the viewing season starts on April 1. Those that go early are creating challenges for the conservation strategy to provide a watchable wildlife program; the cooperation of all birders is greatly appreciated and necessary for future opportunities.   There are several closure dates which you can see on the web page.  Many thanks for helping us protect one of our most threatened birds in Colorado and one of the two really endemic species to the state.  

Patrick Magee!

[Kyle Medina]

“To share something is to risk losing it”

Great video
https://petapixel.com/2018/03/08/broccoli-tree-dangers-sharing-photos-love/