Birding Brevard: The Unfortunate Side of Our Hobby

By Dave Freeland

By all accounts, birding is a pleasant, lifelong pastime enjoyed by thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of other people around the globe. It's hard to find any fault with our hobby or its active participants. Unfortunately, not every person engaged in birding is as admired by the general public as most of us have every expectation to be. A minority of us are, simply put, on the wrong side of acceptable behavior.

Two recent incidents should remind us that we enjoy birding at the pleasure of landowners and others with private property where interesting birds might one day appear. In one incident, a birder-photographer ventured into the yard of a citizen (also a birder, by the way) and, despite the landowner's objections, proceeded to trespass to the proximity of a feeder where a rare bird had been seen frequently. This would-be photographer chose to violate the property rights of the landowner for the personal interest of the violator. In another incident, a birder posted on the Internet a search for a "good bird" that included a walk through on open gate on private property that clearly violated posted "no trespassing" signs.

Birding doesn't need people who violate others' rights for the sake of their personal pursuit of pleasure. Several years ago, in New Jersey where I then lived, a rare shorebird turned up on a farm near Cape May. Hundreds of birders descended on the site, but stayed on the road passing the farm in search of the bird, a Northern Lapwing. But one birder, well known for his willingness to ignore burdensome things like "no trespassing" signs, walked on into the field, circled the back of the property and sought the lapwing. The fact that he didn't find the lapwing doesn't mitigate the behavior that bordered on rude and definitely crossed the line of appropriateness.

The American Birding Association (ABA) has a code of ethics that members are supposed to follow, and the matter of violating landowners' property rights is clearly spelled out. Whether an ABA member or not, we all would be wise to follow those guidelines when engaging in our hobby. I trust that you agree.

Where to Go: With spring migration nearing its conclusion, a visit to a good heron rookery would be a perfect interlude. Try Mullethead Island, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The dirt roads west to the lagoon from the Manatee Overlook will provide good views of the breeding spectacle from the security of dry land. Or get a kayak and paddle out there, but be careful not to disturb the breeding herons, ibises, storks and spoonbills. Otherwise, you might qualify for the main point of this article yourself!

Bird of the Month: Mary Acken's Lazuli Bunting, a three-day visitor from the West to her Seminole City feeder. Mary, an annual participant in the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival, was a gracious hostess for the beautiful visitor's sojourn in Central Florida.

Your Question: I'm sending you this photograph and hoping you can confirm for me if this is an Ovenbird.

A - The bird looks like a Hermit Thrush to me, though there are certain similarities between the two unrelated species. Ovenbird has an orange stripe over the crown, sometimes difficult to see, but does not seem to be present on the bird in your photo. The Hermit Thrush has a reddish-brown tail, which is not visible in your photo. But I vote for Hermit Thrush based on the breast markings and apparent lack of a crown stripe.

Forward your birding questions to me at freela148@aol.com. I'll answer as many as I can directly and will publish one each month in The Limpkin.