Hi All, I might as well put my head on the chopping block here too. As a photographer, I have to agree with Marie. Today there was hardly a bird within distance to photograph, and catching up with the people in front of me, they were all out of the car with scopes. There were no shorebirds left and I saw some fly by in their wake. Seeing birds in a scope is not nearly as satisfying as observing their behavior up close. Surely with so many places on the refuge where you can get out of the car, there can be one where photographers and birders alike can enjoy the closer views by using a vehicle as a blind.
Diana Whiting Diana Whiting dianawhitingphotography.com > On Oct 18, 2015, at 5:23 PM, Marie P. Read <[email protected]> wrote: > > As one those darned bird photographers, and at risk of being labelled a > killjoy, I feel must make a comment here. > > Kevin wrote: > <I constantly find cool birds along the wildlife drive and hope someone will > stop and ask me what I’m looking at. If I could, I’d get out of my car (on > the passenger side) and flag people down to look at baby Virginia Rails or a > Least Bittern.> > > My heart sinks at this, because I see those baby Virginia Rails and > definitely that shy Least Bittern immediately fleeing at the sight of a lot > of people suddenly and excitedly exiting their cars. Unless the birds were at > a distance and the flagger were using a scope. > Sigh! > > Marie > > > > > > > > > Marie Read Wildlife Photography > 452 Ringwood Road > Freeville NY 13068 USA > > Phone 607-539-6608 > e-mail [email protected] > > http://www.marieread.com > > Author of Sierra Wings: Birds of the Mono Lake Basin Available here: > > http://marieread.photoshelter.com/gallery/Sierra-Wings-Birds-of-the-Mono-Lake-Basin/G0000NlCxX37uTzE/C0000BPFGij6nLfE > ________________________________________ > From: [email protected] > [[email protected]] on behalf of Kevin J. McGowan > [[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2015 4:04 PM > To: Peter; Dave Nutter; Van Beusichem, Andrea > Cc: CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] Montezuma is great today!!! > > Snip: “The refuge grants this privilege - this break from the norm - because > it considers it an educational opportunity/event for the visiting public - > one in which they can learn more about the refuge and the life it encourages. > “ > > Every birder I know is more than happy to tell anyone who asks what they’re > looking at and what’s cool about it. If everyone was allowed to stand outside > their car, looking through their scopes, the dialog, conversation, and > education would be constant, not just in special events. > > Keeping the public in their vehicles decreases information flow and > potentially decreases the overall enjoyment and education of the public > passing through. As a compulsive educator, I find this stay-in-your-car! > policy to be frustrating and counter-productive. I constantly find cool birds > along the wildlife drive and hope someone will stop and ask me what I’m > looking at. If I could, I’d get out of my car (on the passenger side) and > flag people down to look at baby Virginia Rails or a Least Bittern. > > But, I can’t do that, because I follow rules. So, I turn around in my car > seat and hope to make eye contact with other cars passing by. They can’t see > my face, and they all pass on by. If I was allowed to stand outside the car > they could see me and the level of education that occurs along the drive > would increase by more than an order of magnitude. > > In my opinion. > > Kevin > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > Archives: > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! > -- > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
