Sorry to send an email like this with a shocking title, but it is not meant for shock value; it is meant hopefully as a wake up call to an unfortunate reputation birders have developed with the staff at Red Rocks.
I had quite a surprise this afternoon upon making casual conversation with the lady at the Trading Post cafe. I said, "So, it must be nice having all of these birders come in and give you business." Expecting a nice reply, she stated flatly, "No. And as a matter of fact, we are getting annoyed with them." I stopped dead in my tracks and my eyes got suddenly very wide. She continued to tell me how birders have been coming in and harassing the other non-birders who also use the area for viewing and family recreation. She told me they are hushing people and getting mad for them [moving around] and being in the vicinity. It got so bad this morning with 2 "older, grouchy" birders in fact that she finally had to say something after they got after some kids who were just running around having fun. She is also not the first cafe clerk to react negatively to birders. I used the same line to a different young lady three weeks ago, about birders coming in and increasing business -- she just rolled her eyes a little, shrugged her shoulders and said nothing more. At the time I didn't question her further, thinking it may have just one individual' bad experience; but after the conversation I had with the clerk today, it prompted me to write this email. Please, it's important to remember that Red Rocks Trading Post does not have any kind of rule that gives priority to birders. Being quiet and not walking around by the birds are birder-rules; we are expected to share with everyone who uses the area and there is no reason the non-birders have to follow the birder-rules [of etiquette]. Sorry about the long email, but please consider the privelege that we have of putting feeders up and seed out for all of these amazing birds. If you see a fellow birder shooshing or harassing non-birders for making noise, walking past the birds, etc., please remind them we, as birders, are not * entitled* to this area and that it is a privelege to use in this fashion. And please consider patronizing the cafe and being polite to the staff. No, nothing says you have to buy a coffee or be polite & friendly to the Trading Post workers, but consider the possible consequences of continuing with the poor reputation we have there.... What would stop having enough of the staff complain, resulting in the feeders being taken down and having us barred from putting seed out? .... If you don't believe me, I encourage you to ask one of the Red Rocks Trading Post employees yourself about the reputation of birders among those who work there. Thanks for listening. Tom Pollock Aurora,CO -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en.
