Gents (Stevie and Andrew)
I've no idea who you are personally, so I've no desire to come between you in your personal discussion (which might be better away from this thread - just a thought), but on a conservation point I do have a view because this is an important subject. I'm very far from being an expert in long-eared owl but in general terms there are obviously sound conservation reasons for needing to understand the breeding ecology of particular species to enable their conservation needs to be met properly. To get a full picture of this it is important to gather a depth of data from a wide range of sources that allows a deeper understanding of all matters that have an impact on productivity. This includes looking at things like population density and nest site selection, things which can be observed more remotely; however it also includes loooking at detailed aspects of productivity from mating success, through clutch size in different climatic and habitat conditions etc., to incubation success, hatchling survival rates, fledging success etc. These things inevitably mean close inspection of nests. This kind of thing happens all the time in species such as red kite (and many other raptors have clutch size counted then young ringed in the nest etc. with no harm done) and there is clearly long-standing local work in County Durham on long-eared owl. Generating this detailed knowledge helps us to make evidence-based conservation decisions that can give advance warning of problems within populations of particular species and tell us important things about the health of our environment. I'm not an expert on the detail, as I said, but I do know that it's true to say that we can never know too much about our wildlife.
There are times when, and ways in which, it's ok to approach nests and do this important work and times / ways in which it's not (when it's cold and wet / taking too long over it being obvious examples). I'm know that those well-trained in this work and engaged in long-term monitoring have guidelines to follow.
So, I'll leave the detail of the personal disagreement to you (and it sounds like you get on fine really!), but there's no question in my mind that a) knowing about clutch size and hatching success (and other aspects of productivity) does matter, and that work on it goes on all the time and long may it do so, and b) it's very important in helping us gain a deeper understanding of wildlife and our environment, as part of a big picture that builds over a long time. Much of this work is done by trained and committed volunteers because the funding and the time (and sometimes the knowledge too) isn't always there in the professional conservation community.
On a personal note, I'm rubbish at finding owls (even when they are mobbed by passerines in a tree and the passerines are virtually shouting, "It's in here you idiot"). So I'm not offering you my in-depth specific owl knowledge or this would be a pretty short post.
I seem to be getting a little more time for birding this year, especially as my older daughter is taking a real interest (once her exams are done!), so I hope to meet you both before long and you might even get to say to me, "It's in there. Left a bit, no not that - that's a branch" etc., as I fail to see LEO again.
Chris
), what concerns me is that many people visit the same sites day in day out and for no real reason other than to see the birds. I am guilty as the next man for this! I go to see Owls because I enjoy them, I submit my records with as much detail as possible regarding locations incase the information and data might be important at some point in time.
