Beach Road, Anne Arundel County Hotspot in eBird

[Marcy Stutzman]

I'm not sure who can update description of the eBird Hotspot, Beach Road (AA Co.), but maybe he/she/they are in this group.

The Facebook page, Save Greenbury Point, has been posting about the USN cracking down on trespassers. I've never been to Beach Road, so I don't know specifically how people are trespassing. 

Here are two recent posting:

Fellow birders. Please do not go to the Beach Road hot spot on eBird where the nesting Trumpeter swans have been reported. The no trespassing signs at the entrance are now being rigorously enforced. Violations result in a charge of trespassing on a military installation which is not trivial. I've contacted eBird to ask them to remove that hotspot or mark it as restricted. Hopefully they'll do it soon so no one has an unpleasant experience.

!!!IMPORTANT!!!! PLEASE READ...

This morning a member who was monitoring Hugh's swans off Beach Road/Woolchurch Pond was ticketed and ordered to federal court for trespassing. Birdwatchers PLEASE DO NOT GO DOWN TO THAT AREA as it's designated as restricted and you risk federal prosecution. Apparently this includes access near the campground and the old comissary, too. Obey all posted signage there AND at Greenbury Point. They are cracking down. I would just stay away from Beach Road until it's clarified where civilians can be. If you are military you might be able to get permission. Supposedly there is a number to call on a sign somewhere. If anyone has more details let us know.

Just passing it along,

Marcy Stutzman

Russett, MD

[Mike Bowen]

I can amend the name and/or position of an eBird Hotspot in Maryland, but neither I nor anyone else can remove it since it has over 400 checklists and a great deal of data associated with it.

So here is what I am planning on doing pending comments from Marcy or anyone else (especially Hugh Vandervoort) who is familiar with this specific area --  amending the name to

Beach Rd. (AA Co.) (now private and inaccessible)

The existing Hotspot is positioned in eBird at the very end of Beach Rd., on the Severn River, at a place called "North Severn Beach" on Google Maps.

Do we know how much of Beach Rd. is off limits to the public?  It does look as if the various properties along the road belong to or are somehow associated with the U.S. Navy.  Also, is any part of Kincaid Rd., used to reach Beach Rd., also off limits to civilians?

My suggested revised name for the Hotspot, if used, would strongly indicate that the entire length of Beach Rd. is off limits to birders.

Hugh Vandervoort is by far the most active eBirder at this Hotspot, so if Hugh is reading this post, we'd be very glad to receive his advice.  eBird would of course welcome hearing from anyone who works with or for the Navy in this part of the State.  Post here and/or e-mail me at dhmb...@yahoo.com

Mike Bowen

Bethesda

eBird Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland

 

D. H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20817

Phone: (202) 236-0510

Ambassador for American Bird Conservancy, helping ABC help the birds

eBird volunteer Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and the Republic of Ghana

On Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 12:50:31 PM EDT, James Tyler Bell <jtyle...@yahoo.com> wrote:

Can't remember which Ostrowski brother is the editor so ignore if I added the wrong one!

 

[marcias...@netscape.net]

In case anyone has not heard Hugh Vandervoort passed away recently.

https://obits.cleveland.com/us/obituaries/capitalgazette/name/hugh-vandervoort-obituary?id=55461144

Hugh Vandervoort Obituary

Hugh Vandervoort was born June 14, 1944, and passed on June 23, 2024. He was a friend of the Trumpter Swans, a Vietnam veteran, avid bird watcher, and nature lover. He loved, and was loved by his three sisters - Dinny, Muffin, and Marty. Rest in Peace Hugh. Donations in his name may be made to the Trumpeter Swan Society: https://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/welcome.html. More room in your heart for love, for the trees! For the birds who own nothing - the reason they can fly. - Excerpt from Storage by Mary Oliver

Marcy

[marcias...@netscape.net]

Maybe "US Gov property. No trespassing enforced"

Marcy

[Marcy Stutzman]

Mike, Jessy Oberright will be contacting you via email. She has some of the same questions for the Navy and hasn't gotten any response from them. I suggested making an update now to warn all eBirders who might be thinking of going there. She can always follow up at a later time if anything changes or the Navy provides clarification.

Marcy

[Mike Bowen]

Thanks to everyone who has provided us with enough information so that we can confidently rename this AA County Hotspot as:

Beach Rd. (U.S. Navy property; No Trespassing enforced)

It was painful to discover during the search for information that Hugh Vandervoort, who provided almost all the sightings data for this Hotspot, passed away just last month.

Mike Bowen

D. H. Michael Bowen
8609 Ewing Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20817

Phone: (202) 236-0510

Ambassador for American Bird Conservancy, helping ABC help the birds

eBird volunteer Hotspot Reviewer/Editor for Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and the Republic of Ghana

On Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 04:08:04 PM EDT, Patrick Lewis <pdlew...@gmail.com> wrote:

Forgot to include Mike Bowen!

On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 4:06 PM Patrick Lewis <pdlew...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not familiar with AA Co. bird-wise, but I checked a map and that road is within NSA Annapolis, the military base on which the Academy is located. The portion across the Severn is where the base support personnel (police officers, logistics, medics, commissary, facilities, etc) work out of and, in some cases, live. Definitely military property that shouldn't be entered! As far as increased enforcement, it might be due to elevated Force Protection Condition levels due to terrorism fears as a result of the wars in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. Here's a map showing the immediate area and what is and isn't US Government property (the hatched red areas are):

Good birding,

Patrick Lewis

Loudoun County VA

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Patrick D. Lewis

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Patrick D. Lewis

pdlew...@gmail.com