To All,
Remember this is the same problem that we had with the Bluebird up in Toledo
and for that matter the Black Neck Stilts here in Marion. And to some
degree..the wood storks out east.
I want to offer some observations that might help the situations in the
future.:
If you lived in a neighborhood for at least five or six years, you would
(hopefully) know at least what everyone on that street looked like. You see
them every day, you see what cars the drive, you know that, that weird woman
at the top of the hill above you, is just a bird watcher and not a lunatic
using her Binocs to spy on you......I hope... :-)
Now knowing that you know at least what is stated above...What would you
think if you saw an individual or group of individuals that you had never
seen before and didn't know were going to be in the area, were leaning
against a lamp post or street sign or in a car parked on the side of the
road...maybe with binocs, or a camera that has a big honkin lens on it...or
people using SCOPES that looked a lot like what spotters use...wouldn't you
start feeling just a little nervous? You might say.."They aren't from
around here. What are they doing here? I bet he/she's a
detective/ex-lover/mafia hit man/drug dealer/TERRORIST. Who or what is
he/she spying on?"
The Police and National Guard are PAID to be nervous. That IS my tax
dollars at work. If someone or a group of someones that are different is in
the area, it is their job to make sure that they are not terrorist or spies.
Especially when billions of dollars of equipment are possibly being
transported in equally expensive C-130s. They treat all threats equally.
I'm sure that if the bird was on Nat. Guard land, and you were parked on the
road next to a nondescript fence, you would not have gotten a visit from the
local sheriff with their 9mm hand gun. It would have been a more impressive
"gentleman/woman" with an equally impressive two handed weapon with the
initials M-16.
When a rare bird has been spotted on private property, don't you go and talk
to the land owner, explain the importance of the bird, and get their
permission to park in their driveway or walk back to their pond. And then
get permission for others to go back?
Where I work, (a big gray building out in East Liberty area) there area a
lot of overhead power lines that have to be inspected semi annually. The
power company, even though they own the towers and the lines and the right
of way to the land STILL lets us know that they will be flying around in a
maroon helicopter. It's courtesy...plus it saves a lot of headaches to the
local police getting calls of a helicopter flying erratically around power
lines.
If you know the bird is rare and you know that others will want to see
it...especially if it is near an airport/train station/manufacturing
plant/whatever...at the very least let them know what is going on. They
will be able to let you know the peculiarities of the area like a base or
such, and they might say.."you might want to stay away on such and such
day, the area is going to be...busy."
If I ever spot a rare bird, and knew that others might want to see it, I
would call the sheriff/city police/OHP to give them a heads up that there
might be more traffic in an area. It may not be "required", but it is the
right thing to do. AND 9 times out of 10, all you will need to do is make
sure that your car is off of the road and not cause a disturbance.
Courtesy, (and doing unto others) it goes a long way.
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cheryl Harner" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 7:46 PM
Subject: [Ohio-birds] Upland Sandpipers-Mansfield Lahm Airport
> Hi All-
> I did speak with the Mansfield airport management today. They were not
> aware of the weekend incidents, but did ask, "Were the C-130's flying?"
>
> I don't know a C-130 from a B-52, but I have been assured they are easier
> to
> sort than sandpipers. Yes, this is an active Air National Guard field and
> they should be vigilant.
>
> So, please be patient, and we will try to work towards a resolution. And
> if
> you happen to be in the Flyboys coffee shop, order pie too!
>
> Cheryl Harner
> Greater Mohican Audubon Society
> www.gmasohio.org
> Richland County
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Leidy Gabe" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 4:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Upland Sandpipers-Mansfield Lahm Airport
>
>
> Hey all -
>
> I was also given the shakedown by police here, Sat. morning. I told them
> I
> was 'atlasing' - the first thing that poppped in my brain, perhaps from
> similar experiences while atlasing. The officer had a very difficult time
> believing that 'my story' about birdwatching, and even inspected my
> binoculars. He asked several times if there was someone he could call to
> verify my story, but I figured you wouldn't appreciate an early AM call
> from
> Mansfield Police Department, Aaron! He ended up telling to 'get out' and
> bring proof of what I'm doing, if I return.
>
> There's a Army base right by the Uppie spot, and he told me that there
> were
> guards watching me with binoculars from the tower, and that they had
> called
> the police.
>
> Sure was worth it to see Uppies again, though...they certainly are a rare
> commodity in our state these days.
>
> - Gabe Leidy
> Cleveland
>
>
> --- On Mon, 6/15/09, Leidy Gabe <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> From: Leidy Gabe <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Upland Sandpipers-Mansfield Lahm Airport
>> To: "Laura Keene" <[log in to unmask]>
>> Date: Monday, June 15, 2009, 4:05 PM
>> Hey all -
>>
>> I was also given the shakedown by police here, Sat.
>> morning. I told them I was 'atlasing' - the first
>> thing that poppped in my brain, perhaps from similar
>> experiences while atlasing. The officer had a very
>> difficult time believing that 'my story' about birdwatching,
>> and even inspected my binoculars. He asked several
>> times if there was someone he could call to verify my story,
>> but I figured you wouldn't appreciate an early AM call from
>> Mansfield Police Department, Aaron! He ended up
>> telling to 'get out' and bring proof of what I'm doing, if I
>> return.
>>
>> There's a Army base right by the Uppie spot, and he told me
>> that there were guards watching me with binoculars from the
>> tower, and that they had called the police.
>>
>> Sure was worth it to see Uppies again, though...they
>> certainly are a rare commodity in our state these days.
>>
>> - Gabe Leidy
>> Cleveland
>>
>> --- On Mon, 6/15/09, Laura Keene <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > From: Laura Keene <[log in to unmask]>
>> > Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Upland Sandpipers-Mansfield
>> Lahm Airport
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> > Date: Monday, June 15, 2009, 12:40 AM
>> > Thanks for reporting! I stopped by
>> > the Mansfield Airport at 6:30 this
>> > evening and found three of the Upland Sandpipers in
>> the
>> > grassy area right
>> > next to the public parking lot at about 9 o'clock on
>> the
>> > loop.
>> > http://tinyurl.com/kpv6dj
>> >
>> > Does this make me an official birder? - As I was
>> leaving
>> > town and
>> > approaching the highway, I was suddenly pulled over
>> by
>> > THREE police cars,
>> > and the officers approached on both sides of my car
>> with
>> > hands on their
>> > weapons. I was reported for "suspicious activity" at
>> the
>> > airport! The
>> > airport had appeared closed, with only a couple of
>> other
>> > cars in the PUBLIC
>> > parking lot, neither of which had occupants with
>> binoculars
>> > which I thought
>> > odd. The officers were skeptical of my explanation of
>> > photographing the rare
>> > birds from my car window, despite my Ohio WARBLR
>> plates and
>> > two birding
>> > bumper stickers. They didn't seem impressed with the
>> > pictures on my camera,
>> > either.
>> >
>> > Even though it is totally legal to be in this public
>> > parking lot, the
>> > officers recommend that future birders touch base
>> with
>> > someone at the
>> > National Guard office to let them know you are looking
>> for
>> > the sandpipers. I
>> > wish I could point you to the office, I missed it
>> > completely.
>> >
>> > I'm spending the next couple of days in Northern Ohio
>> with
>> > my grandbabies
>> > and try and stay out of trouble!
>> >
>> > Laura Keene (with a red face)
>> > Mason, OH
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: [log in to unmask]
>> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> > On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
>> > Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 7:13 PM
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: Upland Sandpipers-Mansfield Lahm Airport
>> >
>> > Hello!
>> >
>> > I just returned home from the Mansfield Lahm Airport
>> where
>> > I observed 7
>> > Upland Sandpipers at the same time in the grassy area
>> > between the control
>> > tower and an airport ("Flyboys") restaurant, and on
>> > the adjacent runways.
>> > To
>> > get to this airport, follow Rte. 13 north out of
>> > Mansfield and turn left on
>> > Harrington Memorial Road (where the state prison is on
>> the
>> > right side of
>> > Rte. 13). Follow Harrington Road until you can
>> > go no further and the road
>> > loops around. Park in a lot at about 11 o'clock of
>> > the loop, and look
>> > through the chain-linked fence into the grassy area
>> and
>> > along the runways
>> > near
>> > that area. Five of the Uplands were in the grassy
>> > area and the remaining
>> > two were standing in the adjacent runways. I heard
>> > vocalizations a couple
>> > of
>> > times in the 15 minutes that I was there.
>> >
>> > Rob Lowry
>> > Powell, Ohio
>> > **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar
>> for
>> > local deals at your
>> > fingertips.
>> > (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolclassifieds/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown000000
>> > 04)
>> >
>> >
>> ______________________________________________________________________
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>> ______________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio
>> > Ornithological Society.
>> > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this
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>> > list.
>> > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
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>> >
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>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
>
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at
> www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
>
> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
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Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.
You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
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