Date: Fri, 4 Aug 2000 11:48:12 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Leslie Roslund Subject: Wrap-up of the Hooper's Island fiasco (lengthy) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Birders- Many thanks to those of you who took the time to comment on the Hooper's Island issue. Your comments have been both useful and reassuring to me. Useful because they have given me basis for a response to the property owner on behalf of the birding community, rather than leaving me to just give him my own opinions. Reassuring, because so many of the comments reflected grand combinations of sensitivity, wisdom, and just good sense. I brelieve we have churned along on this matter sufficiently for now, and it is time to move on. I spoke again last evening with the property owner, and shared with him the essence of the comments from our birding community. I expect to send him copies of most of the e-mail messages that I have received on the subject. Last evening he said there had been no further problems this week, but also noted that the week-day people had not been a problem last week either. It was just some small set of the visitors on Saturday and Sunday. (He has never given me a specific count of the numbers of problem people, but from the various problems, it sounds to me like at least three, and possibly five of the visiting parties have triggered this whole thing - and I am fully in agreement that even one misbehaving birder is too many.) This weekend he expects to be home, and will be keeping his own 'eye on things', and expects no real problems. (Nice optimism there). He has removed the number sign from his lawn. I suggested the possibility of adding some "no trespassing" signs, with my apology for not being in position to offer to bring them to him. (He said he would take care of that sort of thing if he decided it was needed). So, some such signs may be present. For future visits to see this very beautiful Sandhill Crane, I strongly recommend the following: 1. Go to the site ONLY during normal daylight hours, such as no earlier than 7:00 a.m., and no later than dusk. (An added complaint came up in this conversation about some extremely early hour visits having disturbed some of his neighbors.) And when you see the bird, try to restrain some of your exhuberance (another comment from a neighbor was associated with some screaming by visitors when the bird was sighted). 2. When visiting, either view the bird from your car while still on the roadway, or if you choose to get out of your car, please park it on the opposite side of the road from the houses, and still do your viewing from the roadway only. (There is plenty of room on that side - to the right, as you come to the houses - that is where I just automatically parked when I drove down there.) 3. Regardless of whether or not anyone seems to be at home, look for the bird ONLY from the road, and whether you see it or not, do not proceed up the driveway, or onto the lawn, or around to the back of the house where the view of the Honga River will be sorely tempting. If the owner is away, the neighbors are definitely watching, and besides, we are in clear agreement that stomping across someone's private property is always a violation of birding ethics, regardless of how beautiful and special and tame the bird may be. 4. The bird is mainly at the 'first' house, but sometimes also uses the neighbor's lawns too. Treat their property with the same level of total respect as described above, and do not leap to the conclusion that they will be as friendly or as patient with birders as the property owner that we have been dealing with has been. 5. Heavy-duty photographers need to be particularly courteous. (One of the e-mail postings has covered that quite well). Apparently some of the Hooper's Island neighbors are not at all comfortable if they feel some big and intruding camera lens is going to be focusing on them or their house and property. 6. Mannerly birders are still very much welcome. Unmannerly birders are encouraged to either change their ways for this birding visit, or else to stay home. It is correct to reaffirm that the property owner is a very hospitable person, and shares our sense of frustration regarding the entire set of incidents. I am certain that he will also fully appreciate the sensitivity and concern expressed within the e-mail postings that I will be mailing to him. Les Roslund Lroslund@bluecrab.org Easton MD ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================== ==========================================================================