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Kevin

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  • 2 months later...
26 minutes ago, Birds are cool said:

All you gotta do is phish real quietly at first, and then get louder. What I have found works better with some species is playing recordings of the same species. 

I really prefer to avoid using playbacks. I know many say just don't overdo it; but how can I know how many other people aren't overdoing it? It adds up. Most of the Christmas Bird Counts I participate in don't allow them.

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11 minutes ago, aveschapinas said:

I really prefer to avoid using playbacks. I know many say just don't overdo it; but how can I know how many other people aren't overdoing it? It adds up. Most of the Christmas Bird Counts I participate in don't allow them.

Same here, I’ve only done it once and it was too quiet. IMO pishing is more bird friendly(still can want to overdo it!). Usually the birds are merely curious, vs the usual playback response of them reacting because they think there’s another bird=competition/other. 

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58 minutes ago, Birds are cool said:

All you gotta do is phish real quietly at first, and then get louder. What I have found works better with some species is playing recordings of the same species. 

I know a birder who used to pish really loudly from the beginning. Usually, whatever was there would shut up immediately. When I pish at all, I start really softly and if I continue at all, I increase the volume slowly.

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Once I used playback, luring a just-arrived Wood Thrush from one side of the small park behind my house, to right behind my house. I was playing back for several minutes. The bird sang and sang and sang, and followed me the whole way (the equivalent of a suburban block). The next day, and for the rest of that nesting season, no Wood Thrush sang or nested. The previous three years Wood Thrushes had nested. I was really shaken up, and very sad. It was many many years before I even contemplated using playback. I was 17, and was using a portable cassette tape player.

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