As a member of the Northern California birding community I participate in several online discussion groups whose purpose is to share sightings and stories with other like-minded birders out there. On one of these lists I recently read of an unfortunate incident involving a rare visitor to a frequently visited birding site. It seems a Long-eared Owl had attracted a lot of attention and the actions of a few over-zealous photographers then resulted in the death of this bird. A few weeks later a member of the list posted a question about where she might best be able to see a Black Rail, a small and elusive resident of our salt marshes and a bird of special concern due its declining populations. Her question brought up concerns by members of the list about posting this information in view of what had transpired a few weeks earlier with the Long-eared Owl. After thinking this over for a time I felt that I could add a slightly different perspective and felt compelled to do so. What follows is my contribution.
Northbay Birders,
I would preface my remarks by saying that I understand the desire to protect a sensitive species like the Black Rail. However I would offer these thoughts for consideration. I don't think that it serves to deliberately withhold sightings of these species for fear of inconsiderate actions by those few individuals who might or might not cause them harm. While we all probably can think of a time or two when we have seen another observer get too close or cross a properly line they shouldn't, these instances are very much the exception to the rule and should not prevent us from sharing sightings and locations where sightings may be more likely. Rather than fight the actions of the ignorant few with secrecy, I think it far better to confront them with education. In that vein, reporting sightings of species of concern and giving others the opportunity to see them may cause more people to become passionate about protecting the habitat that supports them and the environment upon which we all depend.
In addition, I see the list serve as far more than just a way for people who care about birds to communicate their sightings and experiences. It is a living, growing, searchable natural history record of a specific area. A combination of citizen-science and history that many years from now may be a valuable tool for those who are looking back to try and understand this time for any number of reasons that we can only guess at. In my opinion, deliberately withholding sightings would distort that record.
Finally, while I am not yet too old to get out there and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us, someday I might be. I certainly know of others who are passionate about birds but for whatever reason can't strap on a pair of hip boots and head out into the marsh at high tide in hopes of a fleeting glimpse of the elusive Black Rail. But I know they probably enjoyed this posting from Gene Hunn on Dec. 13 as much as I did and perhaps they could imagine themselves right there with him:
"Today at 12:45 PM the king tide hit 8.3 feet on the Petaluma River at Ellis Creek. Andy Lacasse, Gary Compari, and I hiked out into the Salicornia in our knee boots and were rewarded for our efforts by 4 VIRGINIA RAILS and 3 BLACK RAILS, one of which froze on the ground in the weeds for a full 15 minutes offering , as some say, "crippling views" at a distance of 15 feet."
I know that some of you will respectfully disagree with me on this one, but I think these are thoughts worth considering.
