Hi,

I doubt the Port Authority will do anything.  It would not do any good
anyway.  Whomever did this cutting would have ignored tape or rope.  Plus
if you had been to this site you would know that in order to actually see
the Owls it was necessary to scramble through some tangle and then viewing
was from about 10-15 feet.  It would be impossible to put up tape without
disturbing the owls or blocking viewing.

In the end the only injury is to the people who could have had a chance to
see these birds.  Not to the Owls.  They are likely fine in a different
roosting area.

Owls don't need protection. This is an issue about someone being a selfish
jerk and inconsiderate.  Nothing more.

Haans

On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 2:44 PM, Jamie Koller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I had contacted someone last week about the CLNP to give those owls a good
> buffer by roping off ASAP..at least 30 feet but the person I spoke too
> believes roping the area off has no merit.. the owls move.  I was just
> there to see the area for myself and I see well worn areas where the owls
> must have stayed put. I plan to follow up Monday with your findings and my
> photos. Simple signs and rope could be significant.  Its a shame someone
> hadn’t suggested roping or tape earlier.
>
>
> On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 1:33 PM Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> The little Northern Saw-whet Owls have been very reliable in the same
>> location for weeks at CLNP, but are not there today.  Examination of the
>> roost site showed that the tangle had been trimmed with a clipper all the
>> way back to where one of the little owls would sit.  Of course the owl is
>> no longer there.
>>
>> These owls showed remarkable fidelity to this location and tolerance to
>> close approach by humans which is typical if they are in a protected
>> location.  Cutting the tangle eliminated the protective aspect of the
>> roost
>> and so the little owls are gone.
>>
>> I was not present when the cutting was done and do not know the reason.
>> Anything I might suggest would be speculative and so I refuse to speculate
>> for the reason or motive for the disturbance.
>>
>> This was great while it lasted, and it is too bad the site was disturbed
>> in
>> such a gross manner.  The fidelity to this site over such a long period
>> provides good evidence of how tolerant owls can be to human presence so
>> long as we do not go too far.
>>
>> How far is too far? Cutting stuff certainly.  Also touching the bird.  I
>> have found that having loud groups taken to see roosting owls also results
>> in them leaving an otherwise reliable roost. But as Roger Tory Peterson
>> noted so long ago, Owls can otherwise be ridiculously tame and
>> approachable.  No different than Warblers or Chickadees in the right
>> situation.
>>
>> Haans
>>
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