Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 13:13:45 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Denise Ryan Subject: Re: Fw: [de-birds] Open season on Horsheshoe Crabs - a nd birders? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Why are there aggressive feelings or issues around Shenandoah NP? What kind of war is going on out there? -----Original Message----- From: William Leigh [mailto:LeighTern@AOL.COM] Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 1:37 PM To: MDOSPREY@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Fw: [de-birds] Open season on Horsheshoe Crabs - and birders? I too have had experiences where individuals became verbally aggressive when they realize I am a birder. Once when birding near the border of the Shenandoah N Park a man actually got out of his car which was sort of party wagon as there were 3 or 4 guys drinking ........anyway he got out the car picked up a rock and threw it at a Prairee Warbler that I and two friends were looking at. (It was a life bird for my two friends.) Then he drove off cursing and yelling at us. About 5 minutes later they had turned around were comming back towards us. I became concerned at that point and decided it was time to leave immediately. Interesting choice of words "part of a war" etc etc. It seems everything in this > country is turning into a "war" and there seems to be only 2 choices > in each of these so called "wars" ........... who side are on you is > the only question that gets asked in these so called "Wars" "either > you are with us or you are against us". I lay the responsibilty for > this sort of mentality firmly in the laps of those who have promoted > this simplistic view of the world for political leverage and power. > > So I guess we need to excersize a certain amount of caution but on the > otherhand I think we also need to actually stand up to these sorts of > people by championing conservation causes and adverstising as much as > possible the economic benifits of catering to birders etc etc > etc........... I frequently wear my bins into to resturants and such > as way of letting folks know why I am there > > William leigh Leightern@aol.com > > > Just got this. Thought it would be of interest to MDOsprey. On our > trip, we witnessed the transfer of HC into containers at the > Mispillion Light as we reported. But we had no trouble like these > people. > > Ben and Ruth Poscover > Towson MD > bposcove@bcpl.net > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2003 4:15 PM > Subject: [de-birds] Open season on Horsheshoe Crabs - and birders? > > > >I experienced a disturbing act of intimidation the other day and felt > >I needed to warn other birders. > > > >I stopped in at Mispillion Light with Eric Molho, a birder visiting > >from Albany on Monday May 19. After we had been there a few minutes > >we were approached by an individual who wanted to know if we had > >permission to be there. It turns out that we were 6 - 8 feet onto > >private property. A thick layer of rain and tide washed mud had > >obscured any potential boundaries. > We > >apologized for trespassing and moved back 8 feet. > > > >The individual then told us we were not welcome there. Apparently he > >is a horseshoe crab harvester. We were inadvertantly stepping upon > >his > neighbor's > >mud - his neighbor was out in the river harvesting crabs. "Since we > >are having a hard time making a living", he told us, "some of the bad > >feelings are going to be spread around." I told him that I had > >nothing to do with > any > >horseshoe crab regulations, and I was only here to watch the birds. > >"It doesn't matter", he said. "If you have a tripod and a long lens, > >you are > part > >of the war." > > > >At this point, he was standing very close behind us while we peered > through > >our telescopes. It quickly became clear that the smartest move would > >be to leave. As we packed up our tripods he told us that birders were > >disturbing the crabs, not fisherman. He started to rant about all the > >rules he needed > to > >follow, in terms of when he was allowed to harvest, set up a dock, > >and > launch > >a boat. I told him that it would be nice if the birds and the > >fisherman > could > >co-exist. "Not likely" was his response. He was standing in between > >me and > my > >car at this point, and there was no motion to move aside. I circled > >around the car to the far side, and we left. > > > >I hope people don't feel that I am creating an unnecessary > >controversy, > but > >the harsh rhetoric and obvious intimidation maneuvers have induced me > >to > warn > >others. If you bird there, I would exercise appropriate caution. It > >would seem that one individual is "at war" with us. > > > >Jim Lenhard > >Hockessin, DE > > > >PS. The best bird we had time to view was a horned grebe, in > >spectacular > full > >breeding plumage. It had it's "ears" prominently raised. The red knot > numbers > >seemed low, easily less than 100. > > > > > > ====================================================================== > = > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================