Halls Road birds of a different feather?

[Iain]

Unfortunately, the issue in High Park hasn't been remedied.  I still feel pretty uncomfortable there with numerous men walking around 'on the lookout'.  I just wish the warblers didn't like the same friggin spot.

Iain

[Kin Lau]

Just an update, today there was Durham Region police cruiser that patrolled Hall's Road while I was there.

[cloaca]

Crazy.  I always wondered why there were so many single guys walking around without binoculars or cameras at Halls Rd... we had joked that they were cruising, but didn't seriously consider it for some reason.

I agree, though, that if we avoid the place it will just get worse... and then we're missing out on a great birding location.  If anything, we should go there more often.

[Craig McL]

this is the way we must keep thinking..... aloso I am hoping to work with CLOCA and the Durham police to make this a less infiting area for this tipe of gatering ! I have alreedy spokin with the police and thay wear intrested in some Ideas now I have to find a way to get to CLOCA !!  wich me luck

Craig

[gb_eh]

I visit High Park a lot, and this past summer I bumped into a couple (one of each) without their plumage, and I found out how much faster one can put their clothes back on when faced with a big white lens. This was a well traveled path, and as someone else mentioned in an area where the warblers tend to reside. As I passed these two love birds, I met a mother with three small children coming the other way, who would have been taught a early lesson about the birds and the bees. I've seen the male lurkers, and I've found that the camera tends to move them along pretty quickly. I've been told that there has be an increase of theft from vehicles within the park, and I've noticed that police have increase patrols, but they never step out of their cars. I noticed that they did increase the bike/horse patrols late summer, hope this continues.
 Signs warning that photos of non nature lovers (does that work) will be posted on the net may lead to problems for a lone photographer.  Poison ivy maybe?

[Anonymous]

Good morning.

 Maybe it is time that we all started to do more than just write on this site or fret about whether it is safe or not to go into the areas being over run by these guys.

 Some times it seems that I am the only one that complains to the Toronto City Counsellors about the problem on Hanlans Point on the Toronto Islands especially when I get an answer back like  "we were not aware of any problem"  or  "no one has complained".  These are the  answers I get after several years of me complaining of the blatant sex going on along the public trails and in the bushes there all the way from Gibralter Point to the far northern airport fence.

 Same goes for the area south of the Howard monument in High Park and on Peninsula C on the Leslie Sreet Spit.

Below are sites for the Toronto and Whitby City Counsellors email addresses. If and I say if we start an emailing campaign some thing more than a drive by of a police car can maybe get some action.

Whitby -  http://www.informdurham.com/details.asp?RSN=10535
Toronto -  http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

[Ann Brokelman]

I was back at Halls Road the other day - just driving by to see if there were any birds on the road.  I will not go on any of the trails anymore unless one of the birding guys I know are there.  Sure enough there were 3 guys for sure not birders taking off into the woods.  I was hoping that the police presence would have helped but no luck.  I did put in a call of complaint but they said it is too difficult to patrol all the time.  

I truly miss not being able to go out and enjoy my Few days off and go birding.  Weekends are never a problem. I don't always have someone who is free during the week days.  I love going to Thickson Road to look for owls etc. and now I am never sure where I should go.  This is a real problem that goes beyond Birds of a Different Feather.  Personal Safety issues.

[Lee]

I was at Halls yesterday and it was only birders.  Maybe these guys need to have a wild turkey come after them and that will get them to leave.

[Lee]

I went to Halls a few days ago and there were close to 10 cars between the two parking areas, but not a birder was seen.  I went to the south trail with my binoculars and there was nobody there.  On the way back, a man walked towards me (sans binoculars, scope, camera etc.) and asked if the swans were there.  I said there were and he acted like he was all excited to see them...except without binoculars, you can barely see them and it's always like that!  So I knew he was full of it and had no intention to watch birds.  Less than a minute later another man walked past me but he looked in the opposite direction and didn't say hi or acknowledge me.  Like the first guy, no photography equipment.

[Anonymous]

Of course he was interestind in birds Lee. Just not ones with feathers.

 I do see that just like the Toronto Islands and High Park the authorities are not prepared to do anything that is not politically correct and in fact the problem seems to be growing.

 
 All my letter to the councillor responsible for Toronto Islands did was get an answer from a flunky to inform me that they are watching. Since then I have seen no one checking the paths and bushes. He said the Police Marine unit was watching the beach but of course those on the beach are not the problem as it is legal to be nude on the beach and in the same email I was told it is up to me to phone the Police if I see any lewd acts.

 There seems to be no cure for the problem unless some child or adult is assaulted. The usual - lets do something now that something has occured mind set.