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Post by b1schmor on Apr 22, 2006 14:26:01 GMT -8
Hello birders,
My wife and I spent an hour looking for the odd wren today at Cheam with no success. The day was perfect for birding and of the 24 species we did manage to see, notables included: 10+ Evening Grosbeaks, Barn, Tree, and Violet-green Swallows, Yellowthroats, and one Turkey Vulture floating over the lake. The Mute Swan was also still in the lake.
Good birding,
Brent Schmor
Abbotsford, BC
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Post by Gord on Apr 22, 2006 18:52:45 GMT -8
Thanks for the update Brent.
As hard as I tried, I could not make it back yesterday which was very painful for me. :,(
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Post by Gord on Apr 24, 2006 8:24:30 GMT -8
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Post by tmanson on Apr 24, 2006 8:40:20 GMT -8
Has anyone tried playing a Sedge Wren tape? I have one, and, if I have time, was thinking of stopping by on the way home. Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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Post by Gord on Apr 24, 2006 12:23:19 GMT -8
Personally I try not to use recorded calls if I can help it, but Im going to give it a shot in a few minutes and see what happens. Will post results good or bad.
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Post by Gord on Apr 24, 2006 15:10:24 GMT -8
No luck at all. Tried several locations with good grass (although the grass along the trail wasnt that great looking, but that bird sure liked it!) and nothing happened. It was warm out, but there was lots of action!
I dont like the sick 'one that got away' feeling. Anglers will disagree, but I think it's worse than losing a fish. Maybe I need to go find my new friends from the canal and drown my sorrows. ;D
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Post by tmanson on Apr 24, 2006 17:48:50 GMT -8
Gord: I must have missed you by about 15 minutes. I was in there with full technical regalia!! Camera, bins, spotting scope, special lens, and tape. No one likes to overplay the tape thing, but, sometimes, if you are keen to see a bird, it is the only way, especially for a reclusive bird like a Sedge Wren. I can think of a lot of birds I wouldn't have seen without the judicisous use of a tape. It is an acceptable technique endorsed by the ABA within reason. Whether my tape plus yours is judicious??
In any event when I played my played my tape I think I only succeeded in ticking off a couple of Marsh Wrens, and a Tree Sparrow.
The Marsh Wrens I did see though, were kind of dull looking, so if you saw something lighter and brighter, it was definitely a different bird.
The Cheam Wetlands contains a lot of marsh. Maybe your friend was scared off by the larger Marsh Wren, and is now establishing territory where we mortal birders cannot access!! Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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Post by Gord on Apr 25, 2006 8:51:10 GMT -8
Yes, Thor, with a sinking heart I agree with you as I, with an open mind, studied the marsh wrens and could not see anything similar not even for a little bit.
An interesting topic where the use of recordings gets to be too much. Out here, while I rarely use it myself, I wouldnt feel too concerned if and when I do. What you and I did isnt, to me anyway, over use. Out at Reifel Sanctuary, Boundary Bay and other places that are heavily birded I would never consider using them. Same with flash photography. I may use it out here but only once or twice per subject, but not where other photographers operate because I know many will be using it, and I also dont want to continue a possible "that guy just used it, so why cant I..."
What if we located a sedge wren. I have a feeling a lot of people would be intereseted in seeing it and, like you say, these birds are difficult to see, most birders will probably be using tapes to get a look. If a species is trying to set up territory and nest, it wouldnt last long and would probably leave the area. A real tough one when the options are sitting around for a long time hoping for a look, or playing a tape to get a look. Maybe that's where naturalist groups could come in on a rarity where recorded calls are needed. Designate a time two or three times a day to play the call so all can have a look and eliminate the all day long playing of the song that will probably result in the bird leaving fairly quickly in the end anyway, making a hard to see bird possibly impossible to ever find again.
What a balancing act though between enjoying the hobby and not causing possible harm to the hobby!
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Post by tmanson on Apr 25, 2006 10:11:30 GMT -8
Gord: I agree with you, but I wonder whether such a system would work in the real world. Wouldn't there always be birders who have driven or even flown in a long way to see a rare bird, only to be told they can't play their tape, but they have just missed the designated time? Human nature being what it is, even amongst environmentally conscious birders, I can predict what would happen. As you know, there are designated birding destinations in the U.S. where traffic is almost always heavy, and therefore tapes are banned. Are there tapes played in these areas. Of course there are. I guess the only guaranteed way of regulating it, is through enforcement, and that is ususally in short supply. The other way is not to report rare birds, but then those of us who would obey the rules, would lose out. A real dilemna, and probably one we won't solve on this listserve. Thor
Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.
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