Re: Snowy Owl, Montgomery County, 2/25 ~4:30 pm

[Santosh Shanmuga]

ANy more details???

On Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 10:08:17 AM UTC-5, Marcy Stutzman wrote:
> I just received information that a Snowy Owl was seen yesterday around 4:30 p.m. by several individuals at the:
>
> Bethesda Chevy Chase Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA)
> 20601 Izaak Walton Way
> Poolesville, MD 20837
>
> Izaak Walton Way intersects W. Williard Road north of River Road and south of Poolesville, MD
>
> As many of us know, this can be a very birdy area!
>
> Good luck!
>
> Marcy Stutzman
> Russett, MD 20724

[Tim Houghton]

I've never beet to this area, and I'd like something more specific since it may not be obvious where to go to look for the owl.

Tim Houghton
(Glen Arm)
________________________________________
From: mdbi...@googlegroups.com [mdbi...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Santosh Shanmuga [sshanmug...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2015 11:34 AM
To: mdbi...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [MDBirding] Re: Snowy Owl, Montgomery County, 2/25 ~4:30 pm

ANy more details???

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[Sarah Anderson]

All I know is that the Izaak Walton property is private and posted and, being the Izaak Walton League they shoot guns there :-)

It would be helpful to know if the bird was seen from the road / public access or from within the private property. It's not clear from the original post.

Thanks in advance!

Sarah Anderson
Cabin John, MD

Sent from my prrreciousss6plusss

[JAMES SPEICHER]

Sent only to Tim...meant to send to ALL

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: JAMES SPEICHER <jugor...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:56:46 -0500
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Re: Snowy Owl, Montgomery County, 2/25 ~4:30 pm
To: Tim Houghton <thou...@loyola.edu>

I can add that W Willard is typical of the narrow country roads in
that part of the county with no shoulders. Best time for meandering
on it would be between the prime commuter travel windows.

I'm guessing the Izaak Walton League property is posted.

Jim Speicher
BroadRun/Burkittsville area
[FR] Frederick County
WCBC member

[world oceans]

If people are shooting there it might be a very good idea to NOT post any details about where the bird was seen. I suggest you communicate that info privately.
Dr. james Gibson

[Steve Huy]

On Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 10:08:17 AM UTC-5, Marcy Stutzman wrote:
> I just received information that a Snowy Owl was seen yesterday around 4:30 p.m. by several individuals at the:
>
> Bethesda Chevy Chase Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA)
> 20601 Izaak Walton Way
> Poolesville, MD 20837
>
> Izaak Walton Way intersects W. Williard Road north of River Road and south of Poolesville, MD
>
> As many of us know, this can be a very birdy area!
>
> Good luck!
>
> Marcy Stutzman
> Russett, MD 20724

James Gibson - I'm not sure I understand the point of your comment. Please explain. Thanks

[Jim Nelson]

I did not see the Snowy Owl, but I communicated with one of the observers.  The bird was seen late yesterday afternoon flying over the fields on the west side of West Willard Road.  It was seen from Izaak Walton Way, which is the entry road to the Izaak Walton League (IWL) property.  This property, as noted earlier, is private and can only be birded by IWL members or by guests accompanied by a member.  The IWL is a well-regarded conservation organization, and the members are well-versed in proper use of firearms and what game may be legally hunted and when. All the fields in this area are private property.  The fields can be viewed from West Willard Road, but, as noted, it is a narrow, two-lane road with no easy pull-off areas.  The IWL property is hunted, in the appropriate seasons, and they have gun ranges where the members shoot at targets.  The ranges are well away from West Willard Road, so, even if you hear gunfire, there is no danger.

 

The folks at the IWL have been very cooperative with the birding community.  We bird their property for the Seneca Christmas Bird Count and use their Chapter House as the gathering area for the counters in Sector 7 of the Seneca CBC.  They have also allowed the Montgomery Bird Club to conduct bird walks on their property.

 

I hope this bird sticks around the area and someone else locates it.

 

Jim Nelson

Bethesda, MD

[Sarah Anderson]

Thanks for the information, Jim.

I hope my earlier comment about there being shooting on that property wasn't taken as a slight to the IWL - it wasn't meant that way at all.  It was a tongue-in-cheek way of emphasizing that people should not trespass there. 

Thanks again!

Sarah B. Anderson
Cabin John, MD
www.sarahanderson.net

[world oceans]

Hi everyone,
To answer the question of what my previous comment meant:

I was expressing concern for the safety of the owl, not just of birders. Unfortunately there were a few incidents in the past where some people (including policemen, believe it or not) thought target practice on owls in that same county would be fun. I am glad to see that a reasonable level of trust can be placed on IWL members and property owners in that area.

I  certainly do not want to open a can of worms because the topic of birders disturbing owls has already been widely discussed on this site and elsewhere. But owls are sensitive species and they are fully protected under federal law, which does not stop some people from shooting them. Many of us who have studied owls all our lives continue to stick to the same principle: specific details of any owl's location should never be posted online. That info can more safely be shared by private communication among birders. The safety and welfare of a bird is ALWAYS more important than whether we get to see it or not.

Having said that, I hope all of you are able to see and enjoy this bird.

James Gibson