Konterra - Message from Jay Sheppard

[Marcy Stutzman]

Jay's not on this group, so I'm passing along a message he wrote about access to Konterra.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Sheppard
Sent: Thu, May 6, 2021 3:17 pm
Subject: Visits to Konterra

Fellow birders--

I had a long chat with the property manager of Konterra yesterday.  They have eyes on the property all the time!  They are a tad upset about some of the increases in reports of photographers, etc.  They do not mind me leading groups into the fields, nor do they mind anyone standing on the sidewalk areas along Konterra Drive.  But they are really upset by some individuals who flaunt the obvious signage and wander around the area as though they owned it.  As you may have heard yesterday from Marcy, they had a vehicle running around the road system on Monday within the property driven by an obvious bird photographer and his BIG lens.  Local residents, etc. report intrusions to the Konterra company all the time.

I asked many years ago if other birders could be given permission to enter and was told no.  It is their call, obviously.  I do wish there were other ways for birders to get into the fields.  I have spent more than a little bit of time in the last 6 months leading over two dozen groups onto the property.  I may be retired, but I do have other things to do.

At any rate, Marcia Watson had one suggestion that I hope you will take upon yourselves to do in the future:  in your eBird reports mention in the efforts box where you were standing on the sidewalks to see the birds and reiterating that it is private and no trespassing without written permission, etc.  Clearly some non-eBirders or photographers are watching eBird for unusual species they want to see and photograph.  I am now doing the same thing on all my eBird reports for the past 6-8 weeks...stating how access is limited to groups I am leading, etc.

If you have a need to get into the property, pls ask.  I can generally make time to get you in...although once the cicadas arrive I will be fishing every day!!  ;-)  Ask if you do not already have my cell number.

Please feel free to pass this around to any other birders or photographers you know.  This is going to only a handful of eBirders who irregularly in the past month or two have reported Konterra lists.  The property managers are aching to get the county police to arrest someone ASAP for trespassing.  They do mean business.

Happy birding!!

Jay