Thank you, Maeve!

I hope a certain individual I met during the Snowy Owl irruption reads what you wrote as well as my response here!  I met this person at the Goose Viewing area in early 2014, the SNOW was not present at that moment on its expected perch.  I was giving directions to some folks where I'd just seen two owls on Slang/West Road, and this person took off...

I went back to Slang/West Road, and found this person in the field, clearly getting too close to the owl.  The owl kept flying off.  When he returned from the field, I mentioned to him that chasing birds can add stress, etc, he adamantly said he wasn't chasing, just wanted to get a little closer for a good picture. We both responded with, "It's obvious you got too close because the bird flew off."  He never did get the ultimate photo he desired. 

A while later, I stopped to admire another Snowy on Slang Road.  This same person joined us.  At one point, he showed me a dead mouse he had stashed in his pocket.  He asked me, "Should I?"  My response was, "I WOULDN'T!"  

I remember his licence plate and will be on the look out!

Let's respect birds, no matter how we chose to be "close" to them!

Ali

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeanne Wisner" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Vermont Birds" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 9, 2015 8:59:07 AM
Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] trespassers at Dead Creek

Thanks, Maeve.  It needs to be said often!



On Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 8:31 AM, Maeve Kim <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Good morning, fellow bird lovers - I led a field trip to Addison Saturday,
> and everyone was disturbed to see two photographers way out in the field in
> back of the barn at the end of Gage Road. I bellowed at them that they were
> in a restricted area and they had to get out NOW - and, amazingly, they
> did. (In retrospect, that was pretty funny given that I have no actual
> authority. I think it was the outraged teacher voice.) Their “reasoning”
> was this: There’s a No Trespassing sign on the southwest corner of the
> barn, and another on the first power pole heading down the driveway, about
> 10 yards away.  However, there’s no sign between those two signs - which
> was “a clear indication” that that space was a “pathway” allowing people to
> get closer to the Snow Geese.
>
> When I pointed out the several newer signs making it clear that No
> Trespassing includes photographers and birders, one of the men got whiny:
> “Geez. I don’t see why you have to get angry with us!”
>
> It was hours later before I wondered if we should have photographed the
> men in the field and then getting into their car, with the license plate
> evident. So this morning I called Fish and Wildlife. The answer: YES! We
> people who care about birds should get photos and plate numbers, if we can
> do it without feeling that we’re endangering ourselves in any way. Fax or
> e-mail the photos to Fish and Wildlife as soon as possible. In Addison, we
> can also phone 388-4875. There’s not always someone there but there’s
> usually someone close by.
>
> With a possible Snow Owl irruption again this winter, it’s guaranteed that
> there will be unscrupulous and unethical behavior on the part of some
> photographers eager for the Perfect Pic. The Fish and Wildlife woman said
> that last year, there were people who literally chased individual owls,
> making them fly again and again. There were also people who got pet store
> mice and let them loose so they could get good pictures - ignoring the fact
> that pet store mice have a lot of antibiotics that might not be good for
> wild birds. If we birders unite to discourage the unethical few, and if it
> becomes known that some paid fines, it might help.
>
> Thanks for reading my rant!
>
> Maeve Kim, Jericho Center