Normally, but there is always an exception, people like this feel violated
because they simply were not asked for permission. Some just like privacy
no matter what. Whether we fell he is right or wrong he feels rite. If I
was to go there I would bring him a jar of homemade jelly and take my
chances and ask with a sympathetic heart.

In Wyoming I was walking a public road taking pictures and a gentlemen drove
up and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was taking pictures of
wildlife. I didn't say birder I didn't think he could comprehend that. He
proceeded to tell me that people shoot before asking around here. I told
him to go ahead and proceed as I pretended to reach in my bag for my non
weapon. He drove off. As I said there is always an exception to the rule.
But sometimes kindness helps. Sometimes officials terrify and anger these
people more. They fell violated all over again. I would send a
non-official looking person out there to explain the process of tagging
relocating and somehow making him sound like a hero! Some people only see
wildlife individuals as the feds.

Just my 2 cents.

Thank you
Antoinette Verne
Battle Ground, WA

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Chris
McNally
Sent: Sunday, July 5, 2015 9:03 AM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Caracara yesterday

Yesterday morning Blair Bernson, 3 others and I were spending a nice quiet
4th of July morning searching for the Caracara in Mill Town. Around 9:30 am
this beautiful bird was found in the goat pasture searching for food. We
all were able to get a few pictures of the bird stalking it's prey on the
ground. He then flew up into the fir trees in the back of the pasture
allowing us great looks and picture opportunities.

One of our group (did not get his name) asked his wife to bring the spotting
scope and pull the vehicle up the road closer. As soon as the vehicles
pulled off the side of the road across from the goat pasture the home owner
came charging off his deck spewing a verbal assault of F-bomb fireworks
telling us we could not park on the side of the road and to get the bleep,
bleep off his property and stop pointing our cameras and scopes into his
house. I have been dealing with you bleep, bleep birders for 3 weeks now
and I am tired of it. He went and got his son who also threatened to take
our gear and throw it in the woods. At one point the homeowner actually
grabbed the spotting scope. Fireworks could have started, but cooler heads
prevailed from our group. The homeowner during his tirade even told us he
was going to shoot the bird so he could get rid of all the bleep, bleep
birders. I certainly hope it was just a comment in the heat of the moment
and he does not take such a drastic measure to get rid of the birding
community.

Through all of this confrontation, our group calmly tried to explain to them
that we had the right to stand on a public road and take pictures or view
the bird with our binoculars or scopes. You can't reason with someone like
this.

As we all were leaving the homeowner and his dog walked out into the pasture
and scared the bird out of the tree. Thankfully he chased him my direction
and I was able to get a few pics of him in flight. I do not have a Flicker
or other site, but I posted a couple on my Facebook page if you want to
check them out. https://www.facebook.com/chris.mcnally.984

I can understand the frustration this guy and his family must have with all
of these people invading his small backwater town looking into his pasture,
bird this bird has chosen this place to hunt and rest. We the birding
community can't control this, we just need to be respectful of his property.
I am sure we have been.

I talked with the homeowner with the front porch that has the cutoff skis on
his deck railing as I was heading back to my vehicle. He told me that the
neighborhood has been dealing with them for years. He has always been the
problem neighbor and an odd duck. He said, having this bird is western
Washington is extremely odd and maybe that's why he is hanging in this guys
pasture. We both laughed!

If you go look for this bird today or in the coming weeks, please be aware
this guy could subject you to a verbal assault as we did yesterday. I
would park your car down the road near the main part of town and walk the
road towards the goat pasture and red building. This is a good vantage
point to view the pasture and trees where the Caracara hunts.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is what we all were experiencing
yesterday!!!

Happy, respectful birding!!!

Chris McNally
Lake Stevens, WA
mcpoodle2 at comcast.net


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