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Birding and Homeland Security



Fellow Birders:

In just over a month there will be hundreds, perhaps thousands, of 
suspicious-looking people combing the landscape of most communities, armed 
with binoculars, telescopes, and cameras with telephoto lenses. Some will be 
oddly dressed, some will be lurking about in the dark hours before dawn and 
after dusk. Terrorists? No, it will be birders, and we don't want to be 
mistaken for terrorists.

For many birders, the spring bird count is the highlight of the new birding 
season, and this event will be upon us in most American communities sometime 
around the first weekend of May. Imagine what we will look like to uninformed 
citizens and law enforcement personnel in this atmosphere of Orange Alert and 
alarm. We must exercise more than the usual discretion this spring.

As a long-time birder, bird count participant, and former member of the 
military with security experience, I offer the following advice:

It would be a good idea for your bird club or count organizer to contact 
city, county, and state law enforcement agencies well in advance of your bird 
count to let them know that there will be unusual activity on your count day. 
This also is a good opportunity to publicize the bird count, your group, and 
birding in general by sending a press release to your local news media.

Even with these precautions, you may be confronted by concerned citizens or 
law enforcement agents. Be cooperative and understanding. Be sure to have 
photo identification such as a driver's license in your possession. Also 
consider wearing a name tag with your name, the name of your organization, 
and some identifier like "Bird Count Participant" printed on it. Also 
consider placing a poster or card in the window of your vehicle that 
announces you as a bird count participant. In the end, if they want you to 
move on, do so.

Finally, don't go to places where there is likely to be heightened security 
without acquiring permission. You may have to forego a good birding site this 
year that authorities might consider a potential terrorist target. This 
includes power generating facilities, pipelines, water treatment plants, and 
even waste treatment plants in my region. For instance, the grassy field next 
to the airport may be a great place to find migrating Upland Sandpipers, but 
it is also a great place to be arrested if you're caught peering through a 
scope toward the runway or terminal.

Despite this tragic situation that we're in, I hope you all find some great 
birds this spring!

Dennis Burnette
Greensboro, NC
burnetted@aol.com