Posted by Forrest Brownell on August 02, 1997 at 18:37:23:
In Reply to: Re: (a)Finding Dogs' Home (b)LakeDistrict tips posted by Adam Quinan on August 02, 1997 at 16:19:29:
Adam Quinan writes of 'stalking' a Great Northern in a little
sailing boat -- no mean feat of seamanship, I'd say -- and
getting to within 20 feet of the bird before it dived. I can
well understand the attraction of such 'sport', having done
the same thing myself in the past, though in a Canadian canoe
rather than a sailing boat.
Unhappily, I have since been reminded that this is 'sport'
only for the sailor or paddler. To the Great Northern, his
(or her) pursuer is just a threat to be avoided, at no small
cost in energy and stress -- and coming at a time when the
demands of rearing the year's chicks have already placed
great burdens on the adult birds' reserves.
The best course, then, as is so often the case in our increasingly
crowded world, is for the amateur naturalist to keep his distance,
and to appreciate the beauty of these remarkable creatures from
several hundred feet away, through a good pair of binoculars.
I'm sure that Dick would agree.