Hello Bill:
Restrictive? Another message list?
Yes, I feel the general guidelines of ohio-birds are restrictive. I have
looked far and wide for something that would permit me to ask questions re;
birdhouse siting, feeding, identification, helping the sick bird etc. My
wife and I have 120 acres here that are dedicated to birds specifically and
wildlife generally. I have built and put out 12 Kestrel boxes but I do not
know if I have sited them properly. Could there be any interference with
the 28 Bluebird boxes scattered over 120 acres? I have 12 boxes for Screech
Owls but only one box is acceptable to them. What can I do to attract more
owls in general, Great Horned Owls specifically and any raptor? I am now
retired and can devote more time to bird habitat development and nestbox
construction and siting. I have a 140 years old barn that I am using as a
source of White Oak for my birdhouses/boxes and want to make certain I am
doing things properly. How can I reduce the hundreds of Brown-headed
Cowbirds that plague me? As I write this there is a huge pack of Coyotes
yipping and howling not 20 yards from my door; is a pack of Coyotes good for
avian population? I think you get the idea about the number of questions I
want to ask. It is easy to drive down the highway and say "I saw a
Blue-headed Glumstopper today" and then type the sighting on the list. I
**challenge** other birders to do what my wife and I do for all avian life;
get out, climb trees, build nestboxes, make sure the rodent population is
healthy for things like Owls and Kestrels, feed every bird you can. Please
activate a general discussion list.
Unwelcome?
Not unwelcome but generally made to feel very stupid, extremely stupid. I
do not drive around, binoculars in hand, looking for avian life. I put up
habitat and build nextboxes. I dedicate 22 acres as totally untended forest
so that my beloved woodpeckers will have a place to live. I've got 16
feeding stations out where the birds can get to them. I mix ~10 lbs of suet
per week. I purchase Black Oil by the pallet. I have ~1500 bu. of corn in
the crib and the birds are welcome to every kernel of it. I **challenge**
other birders to do what my wife and I do for birds You wanna sit fat and
happy in your warm car looking for something awing? That ain't birding.
(If you are limited by age or handicap that is entirely different.)
Learning?
Not really, only that it is important to rattle off a list of spotted birds
like a machine gun.
Topics?
Please, nothing political. I have been an avid hunter for 58 years and I
will never convince you that hunting is beneficial to wildlife and you will
never convince me that hunting should be banned. Subject closed! Nothing
on cats because I will respond in a manner that will alienate me forever.
We suffer with people dropping off litters of cats, and dogs, along our
road. A stopped car along our narrow, untravelled road is like a siren; a
litter of cats or dogs will always appear shortly after the *mystery stop*
on our road. I hope I have listed enough topics as grist for the discussion
mill in other paragraphs. NO POLITICS please.
Bill, I promise I will participate actively in a list that permits
discussion of topics such as I have noted above. I promise to ask questions
endlessly, ad nauseum. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.
Cordially,
Tom Slater
[log in to unmask]
Adamsville Ohio USA
From: "Bill Whan" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Questions for posters and readers to ohio-birds
Do you think Ohio birders need another statewide message list, other
than this one? Do you feel the guidelines of ohio-birds unduly restrict
the things you want to discuss? Before you answer in the affirmative,
please check the guidelines at
http://www.ohiobirds.org/publications/emaillist.php#guidelines , because
they have recently been rewritten.
Do beginners feel unwelcome here?
Would you participate in a separate list to discuss perennially
controversial topics---party politics, the ethics of hunting or pet cats
outside, etc.?
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