[Ontbirds]Reporting Owls

[Rick Brown]

My wife and I went out for a wonderful day of birding (Yellow-throated Warbler & Hawk Owl) both of which are still there.  After the discusting display of irresponsable behalhour by so called adults, harrassing and teasing the owl JUST SO THEY CAN GET PHOTOS, leaves me totally enraged..  These five individuals obviously were not bird watchers as I have never seen this kind of disdain for nature from birders.  In order for them to get photos they used white lab mice to entice and lure the bird right up to them  As the one idividual held a mouse in his hand as the owl flew back and forth right over their heads as they continued to fire off photos with telephoto lenses and flash.  I guess technogy isn't too good because even with huge telephoto lens they still need to have the bird almost in their hands.  This tessing and harassment went on for at least half an hour and most likely longer as I was leaving.  I have photos of the one who was carrying a box with the mice as well as holding the mouse in his hand.  

Over the years ONTBIRDS and the responsible people who use it has been a great tool for finding rare and special birds.  I would ask that everyone who uses ONTBIRDS to reframe from reporting owls in the future as some individuals have no respect for nature, just the almighty doallrs. I know of two other spots in Ontario where birders had to stop reporting owls as tthe owls there too were being harrassed by this kind of stupidity.  


Cheers Kim & Rick