On a somewhat recent business trip to Omaha, I noticed that many of
the ubiquitous large green interstate highway signs had Kestrel boxes
mounted on the back of the sign. The recent posts reminded me of this
and I found a couple of interesting links with regard to
implementation and success rates:

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/kestrel/iowa.htm

http://www.bbne.org/kestrel/kestrel.htm

Perhaps an idea worth backing by the a statewide ornithological
society of some type?

I'll also vote for keeping the current thoughtfully written
guidelines in place for the listserve. A message board on a website
could serve the function of other topics much better I believe,
especially one organized by or searchable by category. Recurring
threads on hunting, photography, feeders, FAQs, etc. reduce the
pleasure of reading the reports of interesting activity and
observations throughout the state, which are dynamic, changing and
typically brief. I have learned so much by simply absorbing the
postings of birders around the state.

The potentially recurring threads are often redundant of the many
resources that are available either by book or online. Some of the
book resources are already listed on the OOS website, which deserves
a full exploration by listers.

While I find listserve arguments sometimes stimulating and often
humorous, they also seem to quickly degrade into flame/ego wars and/
or outbursts of hyperbole that can quickly grow tiresome. I have to
admit that I probably would still read them (for their perspective on
the quirkiness of internet communication if nothing else) but I would
prefer they be confined to a message board if the resources to do so
were available, and at the very least on a separate listserve.

Recent attempts by some to welcome new listserve posters re: list
rules with open arms were commendable in their desire to expand
Ohio's birding community. But I suspect there may be listserve
posters who tired of the overreactions that the rules were intended
to prevent who would have liked to have been equally courted. If so,
a warm welcome.

Bill Zimmerman
Cincinnati

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