Nice story.
I was at the beach in CA last year and there were some kids throwing rocks at the local Willets. I informed them that San Clemente was a designated bird refuge (not a lie). I also told them that the bird was rare (a little white lie). They stopped throwing the rocks and scampered off. I don't think that they cared at all about the bird but they were just confused and scared that another beachgoer would actually protect them. Either way, I saved the Willets from further unneeded harassment on the crowded beach. I also saw an article in the Duluth News Tribune last weekend about a Kansas tourist visiting Laguna Beach, CA that had been fined $275.00 for assaulting a Heermans Gull. The man apparently beat the gull with a stick for eating his wife's fallen ice cream cone. The gull received a broken wing and later had to be euthanized. The man is now claiming that the gull attacked his wife's head and that is what caused her to drop the ice cream. Witnesses are contesting his testimony. I would love to fly out to CA to personally contest him having formerly worked at an ocean institute as a science teacher (not that this makes me an expert of any sort, but still). A Heermans Gull would be one of the last of the gull species to actually attack a human and I would be highly surprised if any gull would do so. I hope this man losses much more than the $275.00 in further court fees and losses his case. Happy Birding, Jason Caddy Minneapolis [email protected] > Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2009 18:16:17 -0400 > From: [email protected] > Subject: [mou-net] Birder vs golfer, park point saga..... > To: [email protected] > > After working midnights last night I convinced myself it might be a good > idea to buzz Minnesota Point, (Duluth), to see if any birds were about. > Upon reaching the soccer field at Park Point at around 8AM, I immediately > noticed two BLACK BELLIED PLOVERS, two AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, and one > RED KNOT.......Okay, it was a good idea to buzz the point! There was also > a man golfing on the soccer field. Well, I began my approach at the > birds, they are beautiful creatures, particularly in their breeding plumage, > and > one of the american golden plovers was in fantastic breeding plumage. > Things were going well and I was getting a great fix of shorebirds. There is > little else as rewarding for me as crawling on my stomach towards some > amazingly dressed shore birds, might look weird, but I love it and it's a > great > way to get close. Unfortunately the golfer was not impressed. I was quite > aware that he continued to loft balls in my general direction, he also came > close to hitting the red knot at one point. No matter, if the birds were > willing to take their chances, I was willing to take mine. Finally the > golfer had enough and made his way towards me, with purpose! I could sense a > certain tension in the air... :) The golfer approached and asked if I > realized how close he had come to hitting me with his golf shots. I in turn > considered asking the golfer if he realized how close he had come to nailing > one of the more endangered and drastically declining shorebird species in > North America. The thing about it was this, the golfer was clearly in an > agitated state, I could have taken his pulse by watching his temples throb > :) He was also more muscularly endowed than I was, and he had a golf club, > I had a camera.......So, I did my best to smile and look preoccupied and > made some mention about looking at birds and how I had not noticed him > hitting > golf balls towards us :) This was clearly all he wanted to hear. He > knew I was focused on the birds and had clearly not considered how dangerous > it might be to cross the path of his golf ball's trajectory. He returned to > golfing, I returned to birding. We were both passionate in our own > endeavors, there was no right or wrong, that area is a public space, for now, > until the city sells it for cash or something, but I digress! I considered > explaining what a shorebird gold experience he might have had if he only > put the clubs down and joined me in watching these amazing long distance > migrants, but there was a divide there between golf and birding, and it > clearly > was not going to be gapped. I cannot say enough about the plumage of the > american golden plover, sooooo beautiful!! Later on in the day I also had > the extreme pleasure of meeting some well known birding legends at the point > who graciously let me look their awesome optical gear at the shorebirds and > an olive sided flycatcher, thanks legends! This left a great taste in my > mouth after meeting......."The Golfer!". > Regards, > Shawn Zierman. > > **************An Excellent Credit Score is 750. See Yours in Just 2 Easy > Steps! > (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222377040x1201454360/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=62&bcd=Jun > eExcfooterNO62) > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_BR_life_in_synch_052009 ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
