Just passing this along for what it's worth. I have never personally been approached by any OH airport staff, but have heard rumors of birders being excluded from certain other airport perimeters. Portland Jetport comes to mind... some years ago, a birder friend was asked to pack up his scope and vacant those premises.
From: lriggs@gwi.net
To: sherreal@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Owl trio continues
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:09:33 -0500
Don – thanks for posting reports on the Snowy Owls at the Knox County Regional Airport. I took a ride down there to see them yesterday, and I saw one right where you described, at the west end of the runway. It was much too far away to get a usable photo, but it was good to get a look through a spotting scope, anyway.
I didn’t see any safe parking places alongside route 73, so I parked in the short driveway that’s aligned with the runway. Another birder’s vehicle was parked there, too, and it was apparent that numerous others had done the same, so I didn’t see any problem, but after the other birders left, a guy come along and asked what we were doing. We explained that we were there to see the owl, and he pointed out where he had seen them previously. Then, he said we were trespassing, and that “the TSA wants us to keep people out of here, as it’s airport property and directly aligned with the runway”. He didn’t threaten to arrest us right then, but I don’t think I’ll go back there anytime soon. I didn’t think to ask exactly who he works for, but I assume it’s the airport or the TSA. He wasn’t wearing a uniform or driving an official vehicle, so he may have been driving by on his way home, about 4:30.
There’s a very obvious “No Trespassing” sign on the fence, but that normally means “no trespassing beyond this point”, not in front of it -- after all, everything’s in front of the sign! Actually, that little 25 to 30-foot driveway might even be public property that’s within the highway’s right-of-way. Nevertheless, you might want to mention this caveat in any future Owl’s Head posts, and advise birders where to park and view these owls without getting hassled and/or arrested.
Linwood Riggs
Augusta
From: maine-birds@googlegroups.com [mailto:maine-birds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Don and Sherry Reimer
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 8:25 AM
To: Doug Hitchcox
Subject: [Maine-birds] Owl trio continues
At 7 a.m. all three snowies were visible from the west end of Owls Head airport on RTE 73. The closest individual, near end of paved runway has maintained the same position for going on three days now; the owls actively rotates its head and appears to be fine. The second owl sits in an overturned birch tree behind some fencing on extreme right side of the property. The third bird was on a left-hand runway in the far distance. The tree birds have kept to their same hunting territories since they were first noted several days ago.
Don
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