Hi all FYI, we've all probably read similar in the past, just a refresher ... https://www.audubon.org/get-outside/audubons-guide-ethical-bird-photography
Thanks Gary Lefko, Nunn https://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/ https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-and-more-of-the-pawnee-national-grassland On Friday, March 4, 2022 at 9:15:11 AM UTC-7 [email protected] wrote: > Everybody is getting really worked up over this. I’m both a birder and a > photographer. I have a nice pair of binoculars, a nice scope AND I shoot > with a 600mm lens. Sometimes, in the birding community, people may have > antagonist feelings toward photographers and at times and use the word “big > lens“ in a negative tone. In my mind, a big lens means you don’t need to > get close to the subject. It keeps you at a safe distance. Distance keeps > the bird performing their normal behavior. I care about the birds that I > photograph and I keep a respectful distance. I pull off the the side of the > road to park. I’ve been to that spot a couple of times and I recognized > both birders and photographers and I even made a few new friends along the > way. While there are always the bad apples that ruin the bunch, from the > photography perspective, I call those people out if they’re being > reckless. That being said, the reckless people I’ve seen over the years > aren’t always true wildlife photographers. They are people trying to > photograph a bird up close with a cell phone. True ‘Birders’ are typically > almost always caring for the birds that they see. > > I feel like I’m arguing about politics right now. Us against them. Can’t > we be both? Both a birder and a photographer? I like to think that I strike > the balance of both. Most of the people that I’m acquainted with do also. > In this particular situation, sometimes you have to wait hours before you > even get a glimpse of the owl. I can understand why this would be > frustrating for locals, seeing cars and people on their quiet road. It’s > like having paparazzi there. That being said, it won’t last forever. I love > that people are out enjoying nature during a time that we are still in a > pandemic and we have a war going on in Ukraine. People need something else > to care about. If people don’t say something beautiful, they’re less apt to > care about it. Can’t we all get along? > > Andi-Douglas County, Bird Nerd and photographer > > On Thu, Mar 3, 2022 at 5:03 PM DAVID J WALTMAN <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Dave’s latest message explained a mystery I had. I was at the Lyons owl >> site this morning for the first time in weeks. There must have been at >> least twenty owl photographers there. What puzzled me is why I didn’t >> recognize a single person. I’ve been birding in Boulder county for many >> decades and I typically know several birders when there is gathering for a >> good bird, but not today. I took one photo of the photographers with my >> iPhone. There are twelve people in my photo (blocking both lanes of the >> road). Every single person has a camera, and many have cameras with large >> to huge lenses, and I can only spot one person with possible binoculars. >> These are not birders. These are photographers that have heard about the >> photo op from the internet. It’s no wonder I didn’t recognize any of >> them. And maybe that’s why they don’t observe birding etiquette? >> David Waltman >> Boulder >> >> On 03/03/2022 4:23 PM DAVID A LEATHERMAN <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> What do you get when you mix the following ingredients: a nice peaceful >> and beautiful area near bigger, fast-growing human population centers; an >> owl that attracts another owl and they appear in the same area on a repeat >> basis; humans under the influence of a multi-year covid pandemic and spring >> fever; locals who remember fondly the "way it used to be"; high quality >> photography equipment within the price range of many; Facebook and COBIRDS >> and eBird and other sources of up-to-date intel? Answer: a situation >> (Boulder). >> >> I appreciate all the public and private responses. Based on what you all >> have shared about various ingredients, the "situation" is quite >> understandable. >> >> Fully acknowledging the truth of what Robin said about broad brushes, I >> was made aware of a Facebook group called the "Colorado Bird Photographers" >> which has 9800 members. Wow, that's a lot of folks and I'm sure 90% have >> parents who brag about them. Several photos of the Lyons' pygmy-owls have >> appeared on that site. Sometimes unpredictable, strange things happen as a >> result of social media. I remember well the night the rental house next to >> my apartment complex advertised a party to a limited number of friends. To >> the surprise of the party organizers, over 100 cars descended on our street >> and alley. Soon under-the-influence kids were walking, yelling, littering >> and worse in their yard, our courtyard and elsewhere. While not nearly as >> disturbing, maybe something like that is happening west of Lyons. Personal >> discoveries added to word-of-mouth chats added to postings within rather >> large groups have led to a situation with unintended consequences. I have >> suggested to one of our leaders that a formal contact be made between us >> and the Facebook photography group. We should exchange organizational >> goals, ethics guidelines and be on the same team. >> >> I am glad to know birders don't seem to be main culprits in this >> situation and just hope we all behave. >> >> Dave Leatherman >> Fort Collins >> >> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB3763BB78F19932F203219C02C1049%40CY4PR0601MB3763.namprd06.prod.outlook.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CY4PR0601MB3763BB78F19932F203219C02C1049%40CY4PR0601MB3763.namprd06.prod.outlook.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. >> >> >> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> > To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/2062352725.266000.1646352209367%40connect.xfinity.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/2062352725.266000.1646352209367%40connect.xfinity.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > > *Andi Poland, Colorado Nature Photography* > > Colorado Nature Photography - Facebook > <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorado-Nature-Photography/269802626489167> > > Colorado Nature Photography - Website > <http://coloradonaturephotography.smugmug.com/> > > [email protected] > > *Instagram:* coloradonaturephotography > > *720-363-3874 <(720)%20363-3874> - Cell* > > > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/f183a42d-53fe-41bb-a5e6-03d96fdd940an%40googlegroups.com.
