It is not my intent to "pile on" or to make anyone feel badly for what has already happened. I just want to share a couple of thoughts on a situation in which the rangers and other patrons have minimal concern for keeping the space open to a variety of recreational activities and how bad this can be for birders in hopes that future behaviour might change.
Pawnee National Grasslands has some awesome birding, including a beautiful auto loop that has an incredible colony of burrowing owls. I drove all the way from Colorado Springs, along with my mother, to enjoy this loop one summer at the right time to see owlets. We were also hoping to see longspurs and mountain plover. We got up at 3 am to do so in order to be there by dawn. Starting very early in the morning, the place became overrun as a shooting range. There is a designated area for this activity, but it is allowable to shoot anywhere. Not only did this affect the birding, but it was making us incredibly nervous for our own safety given that many seemed to have little regard for others based on their incredibly close proximity to the road. Finally, we came across someone with what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle (apologies, I know nothing about guns) standing on the shoulder of the road and shooting continuously across the road where we were trying to drive. We approached slowly in hopes that they would stop, would turn away from the road, something... in order to allow us to pass, but without success. That was the point at which we gave up, turned around, and left after making a very long drive and getting up several hours before dawn. We have not been back since. Later, when a number of birders from this forum contacted the rangers about the growing problem, we were informed that there was nothing they could do, and the rangers suggested that maybe the birding loop could be moved elsewhere. There was no interest in asking those with guns to relocate to anywhere else in the expansive grasslands, despite the fact that large colonies of burrowing owls and excellent birding sites are much more difficult to move (e.g. impossible) than recreational shooting. By comparison, Chatfield State Park restricts shooters to the shooting range. They also have designated areas for model airplanes, hot air balloon launches, horseback riding, off-leash dogs, etc.
The moral of the story is: let's be grateful that Chatfield State Park makes it a priority to preserve access for a wide variety of activities, with designated spaces for certain activities so that everyone can use the park. If the price is a little bit of patience to view a particular bird from allowed spaces, please let's all pay that price.
Marie Hoerner
Colorado Springs, El Paso County
Hi All,Consistently breaking rules and not informing others of the rules for viewing this sparrow could easily lose birders access, so lets all try to follow the rules that were so clearly posted here by Joey so others can continue to appreciate this bird! Having a good relationship with the other patrons of the park and the park police is very important, so please make sure to notify anyone you see doing something that isn't allowed that what they are doing could impact future birders. I hope we can all be considerate of the park police and not force them to patrol an area because birders are being negatively impactful.Thanks for being great representatives of the birding community,Will AndersonCU Birding Club--On Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:52:37 PM UTC-7 cinnamon...@gmail.com wrote:So yesterday, I went to the "horse stable" to see this Golden-crowned Sparrow. I parked in the "stable parking space" which is just two spaces by the stable and got reprimanded by the Park police as soon as I stepped out of my car. The park police guy was very crabby and told me to stay out of the stable area. I was shocked by his demeanor, but I was very nice to him and moved my car immediately. Then he drove off and left the property.Luckily, the Golden-crowned Sparrow was in a bush by the large parking lot and I was able to view it with no problems. As soon as I got some photos of the Golden-crowned Sparrow, the birds (all the sparrows) flew over to the stable area. I did not go over to the stable area in fear that I would be yelled at, since I was just told to stay out of that area.A couple guys showed up a minute later, who did not know that they were forbidden to stay out of that area. They went over and took a couple photos of the Golden-crowned by the stable, which took them about 5 minutes and then they left without incident. I was glad the park police guy was gone. I could have told the guys not to go over there, but it wasn't my job and they had made a long trip to see this bird, so I said nothing.There are no signs that say to stay out. I was not going to be the police and tell them to stay out. How would anyone know these rules?Here is a picture of this lifer for me! Not a great photo, but proof!Cinnamon BergeronOn Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 9:33 PM W. Robert Shade III <wrsh...@gmail.com> wrote:Several of us were approached by the State Park Police this morning and informed that they do not want non-horse people wandering around inside the stable/corral area. We are free to use the parking lot (where the Golden-crowned Sparrow has appeared) or to approach the rabbit brush area on the east from the road. (Park at Fox Run)Bob ShadeLakewood--
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