January 19, 2008 Spring Hill, Maury Co. I made the 400 mile round-trip trek to Spring Hill yesterday and it was well worth the trip. The one in 1987 was just a few months before I started birding so this was the first one in the state since I'd started birding. I arrived at about 8:15 and went sout of Saturn Parkway on Hwy. 31 and almost immediately saw 2 birders standing beside the road looking through a scope. It was Frank and Bonnie Fekel and they had arrived shortly before and found the bird sitting on the ground out in a large open field on GM property on the west side of Hwy. 31. Gary Casey arrived a few minutes later and then there was a steady stream of birders and curious locals all day long. There was a group from Birmingham, AL that came as well as several from Georgia - Atlanta, Lawrenceville, and other places. I stayed until about 2:30 pm and saw many old friends from all over and met and made some new ones as well. We all thought it was very appropriate that during the morning hours that the snow was coming down pretty steady. Appropriate weather for a Snowy Owl for sure! I must make one comment here. The bird sat in the same spot out in this field for at least 3 hours. At one point a young lady from a local paper climbed the fence and walked to the top of the hill to try and get a picture from the paper. She quickly realized that she was still quite a long way from the bird and came back. A few minutes later another birder from a neighboring state crossed the fence and proceeded far out into the field and flushed the bird twice by continually walking towards the bird and trying to get closer! The local police showed up and a female officer walked out into the field and brought the man back. In the meantime a GM security guard showed up as well and told us that the man was probably going to be arrested for trespassing. After several minutes of talking to the man they let him off with a warning. The female officer then gathered the entire group of birders together and said that she thought it was incredible that the bird was there and that they were happy for folks to view the bird from the outside of the fence but that the fence was there for a reason! We all agreed with her and told her it was no problem. Two rules of Birding Ethics were broken here: 1. Promote the Welfare of Birds and their environment 1(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming. 2. Respect the Law and the Rights of Others 2(a) Do not enter private property without the owner's explicit permission. 2(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad. 2(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike. Folks, the point is it only takes one or two people being selfish trying to get a better view or a better photo to ruin it for everyone. The bird hadn't flown until it was flushed and it didn't fly again after it was flushed while I was there. The security guard also told me that when he had first seen the bird at 6:45 am that it was flying across the field and that there was a woman out in the field with a camera. Please use some common sense and good manners when coming to see this bird. If you are there and see someone doing something they shouldn't - bring it to their attention. I will say that a little later that the man who had almost been arrested came back and apologized to those of us who were still there. He said that his adrenaline and emotions had gotten the best of him and he knew he was wrong. We all make mistakes but remind yourself and others to follow some basic rules when coming to see the bird so that others may enjoy it as well. Thanks to Bill Rogers, Damien Simbeck, and Bill Pulliam for getting the word out on this bird and for the good directions. Good birding! Mark Greene Trenton, TN Gibson County http://www.freewebs.com/tnbirdingbigdays/ =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation. You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds you report were seen. 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