[texbirds] Re: [texbirds]Plover@xxxxxxx,
- From: "Stevan Hawkins" <shawkins4@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 16:16:09 -0500
TexBirders:
I can remember a person a few decades ago who was proud about spotlighting
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls below Falcon Dam. I had to ask the person why in the
world a person would want to spotlight a diurnal bird. Back then I
photographed an FEPO below Falcon Dam in bright sunlight while not flushing
the bird. Both of the Long-eared Owls seen in the past fifteen or so years
at San Antonio's Mitchell Lake Audubon Center were flushed by overeager
birders who either had to get the perfect view or photograph. My
photographs of those birds, and the 2012 Flammulated Owl at South Padre
Island, were "marred" because there were branches in front of them. In each
instance I somehow survived that crisis. An all cases the vast majority of
the observers behaved like respectful adults.
Onward!
Steve
Stevan Hawkins
San Antonio TX
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Jim Sinclair
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2014 7:47 AM
Cc: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [texbirds] Re: [texbirds]Plover@xxxxxxx,
I have had a number of private responses to my first post in this thread.
Although most were polite, nearly all of them were opposed to Dan's view.
Some even added in Mary G.
Let's start with the upside. There are a number of excellent birders
(including Dan) who have the patience to stay with a rarity for hours on
end, day after day, helping others to see it. I have fond memories of
Martin Reed patiently helping my wife see the Pyratic Flycatcher at Pollywog
Pond some years back. What many do not realize is that these selfless folks
are often subtly engaging in crowd control. They know what is necessary to
maximize viewing opportunities for the maximum number of people.
Whether we like it or not, Dan's comment is quite valid and appropriate.
There are a few 'birders' that do regularly act in an irresponsible, even
outrageous manner.
I do not view Dan's (and others) comments as being a 'policing' action.
They are quite appropriate and, unfortunately, necessary. There are
multiple incidents of irresponsible behavior that have resulted in loss of
access to good birding locations. I personally know of a total of nearly
300,000 acres of private property in South Texas that had allowed controlled
access to birders, but no longer do. There is another site that was part of
the Texas Coastal Birding Trail program that no longer allows access.
And there are even more incidents of people chasing away a rarity merely
because they 'needed' that closeup photograph.
I remember a couple of years ago at Paradise Pond in Port Aransas when a
'birder' walked off the boardwalk, and actually cut off some limbs of a
newly planted tree just so they could get a better view with their camera.
There was a Purple Sandpiper at Port Mansfield a few years ago. The last
time it was seen was right after a person went running toward it to get a
closer view. I missed seeing the bird. I was a few minutes late.
Ferruginous Pygmy-owls are occasionally discovered on private property next
to public roads. Formerly, birders would report those. I personally know
folks who no longer do so - because of the abusive actions of the 'birders'
that come chasing it.
When the Amazon Kingfisher was present during the Rio Grande festival I went
down to look. A young woman literally pushed me out of the way in order to
set up her scope, loudly proclaiming that, "We need to get a scope on that
bird!" The bird disappeared. I saw the bird. She did not.
In point of fact there are several folks who will no longer publicly
announce the presence of a rarity if it is in a location that could lead to
abuse - of the bird and/or the location. They merely spread the word
privately to people they deem responsible.
On Sat, Aug 9, 2014 at 1:55 PM, Redacted sender antshrike1@xxxxxxx for DMARC
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hope any "birder" who crosses the fence to look for the Collared
> Plover has permission from the owner.
>
> Dan Jones, Weslaco
>
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--
Jim Sinclair (TX-ESA)
TOS Life Member
Kingsville, TX
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of
thinking we were at when we created them." - Albert Einstein
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