Seems like I sparked off this playback discussion (inadvertently) with my
Bicknell's sighting on the 23rd on Mt. Mansfield. Which is funny, because
I've never even seen it done before, in 45 years of birding. I had never
even heard of pishing until this past December's Christmas Bird Count with
the NBNC. I tried "squeaking" back in '73 or '74, but didn't see any
results, so dropped it. But I've had a great time birding over the years,
and seen hundreds of species without either technique, and mostly with a
crude pair of 7x35's.

That said, my recent purchase of 10x Monarchs and an Alpen scope has been
a wonderful improvement. And I don't think I would have seen the Bicknell's
Thrush without the Brits playing their recording. I appreciate seeing
Sibley's essay which looks at the question from many angles.

On the one hand, I can see that having various birders coming through every
few days with recordings would be disruptive. On the other, playing a
low-volume recording from the parking lot only calls the one or two birds
that happen to be nearby, leaving all the others alone, and keeps the
birders from tramping around in the delicate forest. Also, with the
polygynandry of the Bicknell's, it's not at all clear that hearing another
male's call has a negative effect on an individual bird. At this point, I
have the Stokes recordings in my smartphone to use for my own education,
rather than for calling birds. But rather than making a blanket statement
that no one should use playback, I would rather make a blanket statement
that everyone should read Sibley's essay.

Hilary


On Thu, May 30, 2013 at 10:33 PM, Scott Sainsbury <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Thanks Tom and Tyler,
>
> A couple more thoughts on the topic.
>
> Many of the birds that we most long to see -- Bicknell's, Bobolinks, etc.
> -- are:  A. hard to find because they have suffered such steep declines in
> recent decades,  and  B. being surveyed / studied by VCE, Audubon VT, UVM
> and others.   Both are good reasons not to disturb birds -- and these in
> particular -- especially when they are on territory and breeding /
> parenting.
>
> The great value of -- for example -- the VCE Bicknell's study on Mt.
> Mansfield is that it has gone on for many years; and during that time,
> surveying conditions have been reasonably controlled.  I know that they do
> not use, and do not allow their guests to use, playback in their study area
> to ensure that the birds are not disturbed and that they are getting a
> consistent observation base from year to year.
>
> My own position and behavior on this issue has been evolutionary.  I
> started out using an ipod like kid with a new toy.  That was when no one
> was thinking about / saying much about the potential negative impacts of
> playing to the birds.  Guides were doing it everywhere, and touting it as
> their way of delivering every bird people wanted to see.   I remember
> outings with very responsible Vermont birders where they had with them an
> amplified speaker that could boom songs across the area we were surveying.
>  No one thought a hoot about it.
>
> Today, people seem to be moderating their use of playback significantly.
>  Some of the birders I respect most, now use an earphone connected to their
> ipods or iphones, and listen to the recordings of birds they are looking
> for or think they are hearing, but do not broadcast the recordings.  I find
> that more and more, I am emulating that example by only playing songs for
> review purposes -- at very low volume with my ear to the device.
>
> We learn, and we validate or change our perspective and behavior based on
> our learning.  Tyler sent us David Sibley's point of view from 2011 (I
> wonder what he thought 5 years earlier, and if he's shifted his position
> since then?)  Tom reminded us of the policy of many public wildlife
> agencies against any use of playback.
>
> I would add to those  that the American Birding Association says in its
> Code of Ethics:
>
> " Section 1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger,
> exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound
> recording, or filming.  Limit the use of recordings and other methods of
> attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or
> for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special
> Concern, or is rare in your local area;"
>
> Being neither ornithologist nor birding / wildlife authority, I have no
> justification in telling any other birder how to behave vis a vis playback.
>  But I am happy to share the opinions that are guiding my own behavior; and
> the requests of scientists who are doing the heavy lifting in protecting
> the birds we all wish to see thrive.  Both of which are saying, "Stand
> down" in most circumstances.
>
> Looking forward to seeing many of you at The Big Morning on Sunday.  Let's
> go birding!
>
> Scott Sainsbury
> Moretown
>
>
> On May 30, 2013, at 6:51 PM, Thomas Berriman wrote:
>
> > Thanks Tyler for the link...as usual David Sibley presents difficult
> issues about birding with a concise and articulate insight that everyone
> can appreciate.
> >
> > Tom
> >
>
>
> Scott Sainsbury
> Beacon Associates
> P.O. 1660
> Waitsfield, Vt.  05673
> 802-496-9393 ext 13
> 802-249-0525 (mobile)
> www.beaconassociates.com
>