The other, in the coast range:

At this point, our focus shifted to the logistics of our visits. We'll need to get a couple of trips under our belt before we will have a realistic idea of the number of areas that we can effectively search each day.

To the question of whether, or not, we've lost our minds and are setting out to contravene the ABA's code of ethics, if we've not already done so by this first post. We say (obviously), that we think we are acting responsibly.

My position on the matter of whether or not we are acting responsibly, boils down to just a couple of points. First, I argue that there is no information in this post about the exact location of any recorded detection of Spotted Owl.

Secondly, we strictly adhere to a number of precautions to minimize the disturbance of rare or threatened nesting species. These precautions include: (a) limiting the number of visits to confirmed nest sites, (b) establishing entry and egress routes to observation points of such sites at the earliest date possible (preferably before nest occupation) that maintain the maximum separation distance attainable between each observation point and the corresponding nest site, (c) refraining from the use of auditory stimulus at all times, (d) publishing a summary of our observations only after departure of young from natal nesting sites, and (e) limiting the distribution of our contemporaneous records to those (biologists, land managers, policy makers, and members of the public) with an established interest in the conservation strategies for the species.

Lastly, I feel that if our success motivates just one person to get outdoors and experience nature, then we've done a good thing . . . . . . 

We look forward to your comments, both public and private.

The next post in this series:

Spotted Owl Adventure - Off to a slow start