Date: 10/13/26 10:21 am From: Garrett Lau <garrett.lau...> Subject: Re: [MBBIRDS] Loma Prieta neighbor threatened birders with rifle
The shooter was at (37.090528, -121.835868). We were at (37.091760,
-121.837386). This is by two snags where I had seen a Cassin's Finch on
September 27.
Garrett Lau
On Monday, October 12, 2026 at 9:31:25 PM UTC-7 <clifford......> wrote:
> It would be good to know his address so I don't stop in front of his house.
>
> On Mon, Oct 12, 2026, 9:28 PM Lola Ross <lola......> wrote:
>
>> Hi folks,
>>
>> Just wanted to update you. One of the birders who was threatened spoke
>> with a deputy and explained everything that happened. The Santa Cruz
>> Sheriffs Department determined that this incident doesn’t warrant any
>> further action on their part. They told the birder that a person living in
>> that locale is allowed to shoot a gun on their own property. And based on
>> the conversation with the birders, the Sheriffs Department determined that
>> the birders were far enough away when the man pointed the gun at them that
>> he wasn’t an actual threat to them.
>>
>> That being said, please do use caution and common sense when birding Loma
>> Prieta or anywhere else, especially when it’s in a residential community.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Lola
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 12, 2026 at 8:04 PM David Apgar <d_a......> wrote:
>>
>>> Maybe Audubon had the right idea about bird identification, after all.
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>> On Oct 12, 2026 4:55 PM, Kent Johnson <kentj......> wrote:
>>>
>>> This is not the first time this has happened. I had an unpleasant
>>> encounter with a man at that same location several years ago. No gun was
>>> involved, but the man did claim that he owned the road and could prohibit
>>> anyone from using it, which is clearly untrue. At least one other birder
>>> had a similar experience in the area. If he is becoming more aggressive it
>>> certainly needs the attention of law enforcement. His home is on the Santa
>>> Cruz side of the road, so the incident should be reported to the Santa Cruz
>>> County Sheriff.
>>> Kent Johnson
>>> ------------------------------
>>> *From:* <mbb......> <mbb......> on behalf of
>>> Lola Ross <lola......>
>>> *Sent:* Monday, October 12, 2026 2:39 PM
>>> *To:* MBBirds <mbb......>
>>> *Subject:* [MBBIRDS] Loma Prieta neighbor threatened birders with rifle
>>>
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> This morning I went up to Loma Prieta and ran into several birders up
>>> there when I was at the Wiliamson’s Sapsucker stakeout pine (never saw it,
>>> but I did get nice photos of a RBS).
>>> Three birders from Santa Clara Co said a Loma Prieta resident threatened
>>> them with a rifle, fired two shots in the air, motioned them violently to
>>> go away, flipped them off, and pointed his rifle at them (not necessarily
>>> in that order). The birders were on the public county road. One of the
>>> three birders shared the location where it occurred (see link below). She
>>> took photos of the man and the location and was planning to file a report
>>> with the SC County Sheriff’s Office, but at Kim’s suggestion, I’m posting
>>> the info here so you can all be aware.
>>>
>>> Brian Spence also returned from that direction a little later on, and
>>> had not encountered anything untoward, but I chose not to walk up that way
>>> anyway. Two drivers also sped past us at various times, purposefully
>>> revving through the softer dirt to try to coat us with dust (once by the
>>> sapsucker tree and once at the parking area). Most drivers were courteous,
>>> but not those two.
>>>
>>> Stay safe out there. Here’s the location that was shared with me of the
>>> guy with the rifle:
>>>
>>> https://maps.app.goo.gl/diiWnzvfDEUGjFfR7?g_st=ig >>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFCCGgm_N6wmud9%<3Dg9fY3qbD8TGupsh5tqGwoV8Fqbcmyxo-Mg...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/CAFCCGgm_N6wmud9%<3Dg9fY3qbD8TGupsh5tqGwoV8Fqbcmyxo-Mg...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<BL1PPFCDE88AB4399A9209CECA42E5A8C5CAA9F2...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<BL1PPFCDE88AB4399A9209CECA42E5A8C5CAA9F2...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
>>> Groups "mbbirds" group.
>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
>>> an email to mbbirds+<u......>
>>> To view this discussion visit
>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<DM6PR12MB34036BD721B4ED921512BFAF9B9E2...> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<DM6PR12MB34036BD721B4ED921512BFAF9B9E2...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> .
>>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "mbbirds" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to mbbirds+<u......>
>>
> To view this discussion visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAFCCGgneqn88ftRfGO09_AbPTfUre-jdEKtqUGgVO_dGH8nUMw...> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/mbbirds/<CAFCCGgneqn88ftRfGO09_AbPTfUre-jdEKtqUGgVO_dGH8nUMw...>?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> .
>>
>
