Dear John et al,

Well done John Thank you!

What did JPHILLIPOBRIEN not here that the three of you said LOAD &  
CLEAR and I quote!

"so we advised him that he could get a better look down the nearby  
preserve's trail, where it terminated at the border of private  
property".

Also on his blog, JPHILLIPOBRIEN writes he also climbed up a ladder  
into a tree. HINT, JPHILLIPOBRIEN,  don't you think this would  
indicate that one is now on private property! Absolutely Shameful  
JPHILLIPOBRIEN! Clearly you are not a photographer or a birder in the  
real sense! HONESTLY!

Mardi Dickinson
Norwalk, CT




On Feb 22, 2011, at 11:34 AM, John Askildsen wrote:

> to all,
>
> this is a long post and to those who object for the length, i  
> apologize in advance. please feel free to depress the delete key.  
> but if you take the time to read it, you may well be quite impressed  
> with how moronic/self-centered some people can be about their needs  
> vs. the welfare of wildlife and property rights concerns. believe  
> me, this is a unbelieveable read.....
>
> Last night i was informed by (my) local bird club members up here in  
> Dutchess, about the conduct of a visiting birder (JPHILLIPOBRIEN) to  
> Stissing Mtn for Golden Eagles. And last night, i was so 'steamed' i  
> wrote the 'rant' below, which i saved as a draft, to review this  
> morning when perhaps my cooler head would prevail. and in fact i was  
> going to trash the 'rant' and chalk up the perpetrator's  
> (JPHILLIPOBRIEN) actions to just some stupid greenhorn who does not  
> know his "A from his E".   but then i got another e-mail from my  
> local bird club members who sent the "perp" letters of protest,  
> which included his reply. his response was nothing less than mind- 
> blowing to me. and at this point, i think he needs to be 'outed' and  
> taught a lesson by the court of public opinion from within the NYS  
> birding community. with the recent buzz on this list concerning  
> birding ethics, i think my entire e-mail thread is appropriate  
> discussion. perhaps i may well sound a little harsh, but i don't  
> think so.  you be the judge...
>
> what i wrote and then saved last night and intended to trash the  
> post below:
>
> it is very rare these days that i sound off about poor behavior  
> exhibited by other birders as i find the disputes on line to be  
> distasteful. but this time i feel compelled to comment strongly,  
> based on a personal account written by some idiot who goes by the  
> name of "jphillipobrien2006" and posted to ebirdsnyc and on his  
> personal blog.
>
> yesterday (Sunday), while tom burke, gail benson and i were watching  
> bald and golden eagles at stissing mtn in pine plains, dutchess  
> county, some idiot-and i make no apologies for using the descriptive- 
> idiot, came speeding up in his car and blurted out a dozen rapid  
> fire questions to us about what we were looking at, were they  
> eagles, where are they,  etc. we acknowledged that both species of  
> eagles were present and he seemed anxious to get a closer look. so  
> we advised him that he could get a better look down the nearby  
> preserve's trail, where it terminated at the border of private  
> property. so of course he zoomed off and bolted down the trail.
>
> according to his blogsite, he went down the trail and crossed into  
> the cornfields, all of which are closely guarded private property  
> and posted to that effect. then in his own words, he goes on to  
> describe how he scaled the mountain and pursued the eagles up on top  
> of stissing mountain ! the mountain is also private property and  
> restricted as it harbors endangered and threatend species, in  
> addition to being just plain old private property.he has posted  
> point blank photos of the immature golden, which he apparently  
> spooked off of the ridge when he got these photos.
>
> now, my message to this idiot is this: number one, the birding  
> community here in dutchess county goes to great lengths to maintain  
> a respectful, cordial and delicate relationship with landowners. and  
> just because you are 'upstate' and what you are about to crossover  
> is a cornfield and not someone's backyard, that does not change the  
> definition of "NO TRESPASSING". what you did goes beyond a flagrant  
> disregard for property rights. what you did as a birder is  
> reprehensable-to disturb a rare situation like harrassing resident  
> wintering golden eagles and nesting bald eagles in the northeast. i  
> hope that someone who recognizes your name from this e-mail, will  
> set you straight about what is unacceptable and selfish-make that  
> illegal, behavior.
>
> in the meantime, the NYSDEC has been notified by local birders and  
> perhaps we can reach out to USFWS and The Nature Conservancy  
> (requesting that they please shut down the preserve to visitors) as  
> well with your contact information. and if this means the end to any  
> access at all to wintering eagles at stissing for the birding  
> community at large, you may credit yourself with that "badge of   
> stupidity". may i suggest that you stick to watching (harrassing)  
> ducks at jamaica bay wildlife refuge and spare us your presence up  
> here in dutchess county.
>
> end of post from last night
>
> below is his response on 'ebird' to criticisms he received last  
> night via e-mail (not mine). i think he is still under the effects  
> of altitude sickness stemming from his ascent to the top of  
> stissing. maybe forest park is as 'high' as he should get into the  
> cloud layer in the future. and yes, i am being sarcastic and snarley  
> over this whole situation .
>
> Here is (JPHILLIPOBRIEN)'s reply to ebirdsnyc, below:
>
>  I've been getting some hate mail from people saying Im unethical,  
> that Im a law
> breaker and that Im selfish for posting my Golden Eagle sighting  
> here. So as a
> disclaimer let me just add:
> 1) I did not willingly or deliberately trespass to get those pix. I  
> followed
> the trail, the trail disappeared and I continued on.
> 2) No eagles where threatened, alarmed or in any way endangered or  
> disrespected.
> The fact is no eagle will let you get within 1/2 mile of it if it  
> doesn't want
> you around.
> 3) Take the time to actually read my blog post before you send me  
> any more
> snarly emails, it will be clear that this was a ONCE IN A LIFETIME  
> event and I
> am in no way encouraging anyone to follow my example. The back  
> country there is
> very dangerous and covered in 2 feet of snow and ice so trail  
> markers, signs or
> any other symbol of human presence are absent.
> 4) It is the END OF THEIR SEASON, and in 2 weeks the Goldens will be  
> gone. I
> deliberately waited till the end of their Wintering time so that  
> those who are
> truly motivated to see them will get a plan (a must) together for  
> next year.
> 5) Last and not least, if you know anything about Arthurian Legend,  
> the quest
> for the Holy Grail began because Arthur had violated his pact with  
> the Land and
> it had begun to decay (Sound familiar?) Arthur sent the Knights  
> forward on
> their quest not for his own glorification, but to renew that Sacred  
> bond. This
> was my motivation--to renew the pact between ourselves and that  
> which remains
> most Wild.
>
>  "Arthurian legend? "Knights" ? "Holy Grail" ? "decaying land" ? OMG  
> grow up, pal......
>
> JPA
>
> John Askildsen Millbrook, Dutchess County, New York


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