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FW: Count precautions



Dear Carolinabirders:

I must comment on this posting, and the stronger warning that Audubon sent
to all CBC compilers. While I recognize that some areas with "high value"
installations may need to forewarn the police, are we not carrying this a
bit far? 

We birders will be out on the CBCs carrying field glasses and books. In all
of rural North and South Carolina the woods and marshes have been literally
FULL of heavily armed, bearded, unwashed, disreputable-looking characters
dressed in full camouflage since late October, with no newspaper, radio, or
TV reports reaching me that any hunters were being rounded up as suspected
saboteurs or terrorists. I wonder if anyone sent a similar warning to the
deer and duck-hunting communities?

Are we birders viewed as being that much more threatening or suspicious?

If I grow a beard, wear camo, don't bathe, drive a rusty truck with no
muffler and with a bed full of Bud and Johnnie Walker empties, and carry a
semi-auto while birding, am I immediately viewed with less suspicion by the
public and cops? This is a disturbing thought.

James Coman
Compiler, New River CBC, and for some unfathomable reason, known to Audubon
as the "Hoary Dipper"

  
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From: Carol Williamson <carolw@sandler-recht.com>
Organization: Sandler & Recht Communications
Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 11:21:39 -0500
To: carolinabirdsacpubdukeedu <carolinabirds@acpub.duke.edu>
Subject: Count precautions

Hello everyone,
The Nat'l Audubon Society has recommended that we count leaders notify
our local police departments about our upcoming counts. When I called
Durham Police, Durham Sheriff, and Chatham County Sheriff offices about
the Jordan Lake count, it was recommended that people carry some i.d.
with them just in case some homeowner or car driver gets alarmed at the
sight of folks walking around with binos and scopes and calls the
police. I told them that all groups would have printed material related
to the count (eg, the checklist), but you may want to carry your drivers
licence as well, just in case you have to prove the Audubon connection
as opposed to the Taliban connection!
Best,
Carol