Good suggestions regarding conduct in the field are found in the American Birding Associations, Code of Birding Ethics. If we don't follow guidelines 1b and 1d, concerned birders will start using 1c! Find the link in the OOS Forum, under "Bird Conservation Topics" under: 100 things a NA birder should do before hanging up the optics... Follow suggestion number 35. The link to ethics is there, or just do a search for it. While you are looking over the bucket list there--please consider adding your favorite birding experience to the list by replying to the forum--I edit and update the growing list regularly. You will see the obvious emphasis on bird conservation in the suggestions so far, and some great birding locations, too. Tom Bain Bird Conservation Chair Ohio Ornithological Society -----Original Message----- From: Ohio birds [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sean Williams Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 7:32 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [Ohio-birds] No Nelson's Sparrows, Snipe Marsh, Delaware + word of caution Birders, Since last Wednesday, Sep. 22nd, I have heard no positive reports of the Nelson's Sparrows, or even of any Ammodramus species. However, every day many birders (3+) have been present. What bothers me is that every day I see one or more birders freely walking around in the marsh. This is not how I originally found the birds, so you may not be improving your chances. Admittedly, before I found the birds and before there were other birders, I braved the cold wetness once every two weeks. I'd like to caution birders that if multiple people tromp the marsh every day, there may be no Nelson's Sparrow habitat left!! We're talking about a very small marsh, possibly only an acre. There are now obvious walkways through the cattails and wet grasses. Please be respectful of the birds on their great migration to wintering grounds. I hope I'm not sounding too crabby! :P Thank you! Sean --- Sean Williams, '11 Undergraduate of Ornithology of Dr. Jed Burtt Ohio Wesleyan University HWCC 724 Delaware, OH 43015 617-470-4094 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]