I have had several meetings with other birders along the coast recently
that make me wonder why some or many birders have little regard for the
birds. And have little regard for cost and effort needed to keep some of
the best birding areas in the country looking good. Having just spent a
couple of weeks in California, I know that they do not act there like they
do when they come here.
And why would anybody continue to post about birds if it attracts such
people rather than those that enjoy and care about the birds.
I met a nice gentleman out on bolivar flats who wanted to take pictures of
snowy plovers. Especially if they are nesting. He mentioned that he had
been out on the flats on east beach and gotten pictures. Since the flats
are barricaded and marked with keep out signs, that seemed a little odd.
But when I went to east beach to where the plovers nested last year and
where 2 pairs were present again what did I find but a broken rope and
footprints going out to the plovers.
One the same day, a group complained that the walk from the parking on east
beach was so far from the birds that they could not bird. I explained that
the area by the jetty for the fishermen was a short walk but they stated
that people from their state do not pay to go anywhere to bird. And they
parked at the bollards with no parking permit and went into high island on
Winnie street so they did not have to pay. When I was in their state, they
sure charged me to go to most good birding areas but then some of the
highways near parks almost are blocked so people can walk in for free. 5
out of 5 cars at the bollards the other day had no parking stickers.
And then last year there was the "professional photographer" of least terns
and their babies who spent a couple of weeks at bolivar to document that
least terns feed fish to the babies which no one knew before. He climbed
into the nesting area when no one was around, when asked to move more than
10 feet from a baby tern waiting for food, he said 5 minutes and more than
an hour later he was still there. May have stepped on or next to an egg
outside the barrier that was well marked but it was too much trouble to
walk 5 feet out of his way. Never posted anything so the pictures are
buried in the back of his closet. Fishermen called the game warden several
times but the wardens were across the bay and the deputies were also tied
up otherwise there would have been a solution to the problem. And no
sticker for the 2 weeks.
Anyway, enough grumping for the day. Enjoy birding but think of the birds
first.
--
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
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