DON'T READ THIS! IF YOU ARE YOUNG, IT COULD BE DESCRIBED BY THAT DANGEROUS TERM "LONG" (I.E., STUNT YOUR GROWTH AND DENY YOU THE TIME TO LEARN A TIME-SAVING AP). IT CONTAINS INFORMATION ABOUT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND YOU MAY BE CONSIDERED AN ACCOMPLICE ACCORDING TO SOME SMALL PRINT ON CITY OF FORT COLLINS NATURAL AREA SIGNS I HAVE NOT READ YET (THE HAND LENS WAS IN MY OTHER FIELD PANTS).
As Nick Komar related, this morning was a beautiful day and date for finding migrant birds in Fort Collins. I went to Pineridge Natural Area (aka "Dixon Reservoir") south of the CSU football stadium in southwest Fort Collins. It was misting lightly, cool, the vegetation was lush, and nobody was out and about with dogs, bikes, horses, jogging gear, or fishing equipment to startle, body-check, impair, or lick/stomp a stealthy birder. Perfect. As Lee Corso often says during his ESPN college football commentary, "Not so fast, my friend." Bird highlights (in the woodland along the northwest and north shores, unless otherwise stated: Magnolia Warbler (female) Ovenbird (1 singing) Wilson's Warbler (2m) Willow Flycatcher (1) Least Flycatcher (at least 4) MacGillivray's Warbler (2 singing m) Black-billed Magpie (1 with a snake being harrassed by another magpie - uh oh, something interesting that might require investigation - start the creepy criminal activity music) Lark Bunting (1 pair, legally out of sight, which begs the age-old question - if a bird is seen that you shouldn't have seen, did you really see it?) Plumbeous Vireo (1, seen while observer multi-tasking: being questioned by Dirty Harry wannabe and using binoculars at the same time) surprisingly, no thrushes of any kind except robins (maybe they can read?) surprisingly, no chats (ditto) Total of 58 species Here's the long, whiny, crime part. DON'T READ THIS WITHOUT ASSUMING ALL RISK. On the east side of the reservoir is a nice row of Peachleaf Willows, which are usually full of midges and other bird food morsels, as are the rabbitbrush bushes on the hillside to the east going up to the hogback. My friend Becca had seen and photographed some Field Sparrows here recently. So, despite the distance involved, I went. Lots of sparrows, but no Field. Then a magpie flew along the hogback ridge, carrying a medium-sized snake, being chased by another magpie. "Wonder what kind of snake? I think it dropped it. Go check it out, " I said to myself. Seeing none of the infamous "No Access" signs, which have sprouted in Fort Collins Natural Areas of late like dandelions on a rental lawn, up the hill I went. No magpies on top. No dropped snake. Beautiful blooming One-sided Penstemons. A pair of Lark Buntings off to the east. Cool. Down the hill to the trail. Vireo singing in the tall cottonwoods. Here comes someone - Trail Ranger. Apparently, as the sun was coming out and things were drying out, the Ranger closed the area because of potential resource damage. She was coming to interrogate me, and thus assess whether I walked past her closure, or had gone in beforehand. Using her law enforcement skills, and perhaps binoculars better suited for birding, from half a mile away she had also noticed me walking on the hogback. This is considered off trail and a violation of the long list of rules printed in #2 font on the sign which I had walked past at the onset of my visit. Everything was OK as far as my stating the time of entry before the closure, and honestly not knowing about the hogback being off limits. What flipped her trigger and resulted in a ticket plus mandatory court appearance was mentioning my being involved in another off-trail warning in another Natural Area earlier this spring (trying to assist a sound recording of Winter/Pacific Wren). This occurred in the area of Prospect Ponds NA, now marked by tracks of dumptrucks used by the City Stormwater Department to remove large fallen cottonwoods in an effort to "protect" things. The things protected most are behinds of City bureaucrats in case of flood-related lawsuits when the snowpack turns to liquid. But I'm sure the memo authorizing this environmental rape of arguably the second best riparian woodland along the Poudre's multi-mile journey thru Fort Collins says something about protecting us taxpayers. Be forewarned, this entire incident is only partially sour grapes. Rules are rules, logical or otherwise. I got an "A" in logic way back when, but as Neil Simon says, that is feeling like mere "crap I learned in high school". While birding, if you live anywhere other than Fort Collins, just act logically. If you live in Fort Collins and feel compelled to go to a Natural Area, leave your curiosity at home, suppress logic, wear sunscreen, don contact-sport pads, bring reading glasses, carry your hand lens, and drink lots of water. Maybe Nick had it right - just bird in your neighborhood. You'll see more birds and not run afoul of the law. And oh yes, don't chase the Magnolia. Pineridge is closed, I'm guessing until Labor Day to allow time for the installation of more signs and things to dry out Dave Leatherman Fort Collins -- 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.
