A sign of the times

I have been following a birding-related controversy for a few months now. Early this spring authorities at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) announced that they would be closing the facility’s man-made islands to birders for security reasons.

According to a July 5 Los Angeles Times article, the CBBT chief of police said the measures were taken to protect the CBBT’s ventilation buildings. “We discovered that we had areas of concerns: we didn’t have enough safeguards around our ventilation buildings. If you can get into the ventilation buildings, you have direct access to the tunnel and can inflict serious damage to the tunnel,” Clement Pruitt, told the Times. The CBBT is a direct link to the Navy’s largest base at Hampton Roads.

The 17.6-mile long series of bridges and tunnels connects Virginia Beach and the Delmarva Peninsula. At least 350 species of birds have been recorded from the CBBT.

I birded the CBBT back in the late 90s, 1998 I think. I was on a mad gull quest with a friend, Scott Marsh, who was set on seeing a kelp gull reported from the Potomac River. We, of course, added other birding destinations to our itinerary and we crossed the CBBT after leaving the Outer Banks enroute to Chincoteague.

Even in those days (pre-9/11) one had to present a picture ID and vehicle registration as well as names of any passengers at the toll office before being allowed to stop and bird on any of the three northern islands. The southernmost island, which includes a restaurant and a fishing pier, is open to the public. Obviously CBBT officials felt these requirements were not sufficient and decided to close the islands to birders.

Birders flocked to retain visitation rights to the CBBT. After a series of meetings, CBBT announced what they called a “compromise.” Individuals an/or groups of no more than 15 may bird CBBT as long as they schedule their visits well in advance and agree to pay $50 per hour for a police escort.

Well, you can imagine the response in bird-world. Most birders denounced the “compromise” and vowed to boycott the CBBT. I have to say my sentiments coincided with most.

The Times article also pointed out other places where birders have either been restricted or denied access. The Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago used to see more than 300 birding tour-groups annually, but after 9/11 it has prohibited the public from entering its facilities.

The article also notes that one of the premier birding spots in the country, Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, Ariz. — which includes an Army military intelligence center — has imposed strict restrictions on birders visiting the area.

Then, this morning (7/7) when I turned on the TV to get an idea of what tropical depression Cindy had in store for us, I saw the reports of the terrorist attacks in London. I have to admit, the “New Millennium” is not what I envisioned.

I remembered that after 9/11 many military installations and other federal properties closed their gates to hunters. Today, most of those federal lands have reopened, but with stricter requirements and some, still, remain closed.

Because we as individual birders with our binoculars and digi-scope cameras capable of spotting the eye-ring on a six-inch bird at 100 yards and individual hunters in camouflage with high-powered rifles with scopes capable of bull’s-eye accuracy at 300 yards know we are not a national threat, we tend to lose our objectivity.

While I will not pay $50 an hour to bird the CBBT, I can see, after this morning, where that concern comes from. It’s a sign of the times.

(Don Hendershot can be reached at ddihen@earthlink.net)