Another funny comparison between countries could be perspectives on
photographing nudity, but we've opened that can of worms enough times
already, haven't we. :-)
Jostein
Den 02.06.2019 14:35, skrev Daniel J. Matyola:
Jostein, the way Larry has set things up does not seem to be
bothering the
birds or interfering with their natural behavior.
As he points out, they keep returning to that spot year after year.
I had some sparrows build a nest under one of the eaves of our house,
on
top of a floodlight. Unfortunately, the position made it impossible
to
look into the nest, or even attempt a photograph, without getting up
on a
ladder right next to it, which I would never consider doing.
BTW, at almost all of the eagle cams, the naturalists go in to tag
the
nestlings, before they are able to fly away. It is interesting to
learn
that some of our local chick from here in New Jersey found their way
up to
New England. Raptor protection groups claim to gather important
information about the birds from studying both the nests and the
later
travels of the birds.
My reference to whales goes back to when I visited you in Oslo, many
years
ago. Among many other things, we discussed the Nordic and America
views on
Wale conservation. You pointed out the importance of the wales in
the
Scandinavia cultures, and I remarked that even in the US we recognize
the
native cultural needs of the Northwest Alaskan peoples, who are for
the
most part exempt from the bans on hunting and eating wales.
On our first trip to Hawai'i, back in the 1980s, my son was
enthusiastically looking forward to riding jet skis in the pacific.
Short
visits to the Sierra Club and the Pacific Wale Foundation put a quick
end
to that, and converted him to an avid conservationist. Maui has a
lot of
coast watchers, who sit on the lanais (balconies) of their condos
peering
through binoculars hour after hour, and reporting any boats who
approach
the wales too closely. The wales their are most sensitive, as there
are
many newborn calves. There is nothing near Maui for the wales to
eat, so
they fast from the time they leave the Alaskan waters, 3,000 miles
away,
until they return months later. Like many mainland tourists, all
they do
during their Hawai'ian vacation is breed, give birth, and teach the
young
to swim.
Yes, the "Russian spy" beluga received extensive coverage in the US.
Belugas are among the most frequently mistreated of marine animals,
because
their size, intelligence and friendliness makes them easy to exploit.
The
recent NatGeo article on animal tourism covers that (and other
travesties).
Sea World and similar operations are quite controversial today.
Under
great public pressure, Sea World ended its Orca breeding program, and
has
promised to phase out the "Shamu" type circuses. We will see.
Dan Matyola
http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola
On Sun, Jun 2, 2019 at 7:26 AM Jostein Øksne <[email protected]>
wrote:
Nest cameras are a different kettle of fish, Dan. They are automated
and
can be set up before the birds settle in. Especially with the large
birds of prey which conveniently return to the same nest year after
year. It is the photographer's presence by the nest that cause the
disturbance more than the picture-taking itself.
It seems that the same rules of engagement, if one can call it that,
is
recommended by some concerned parties in the USA too. Have a look:
https://nestwatch.org/connect/news/nest-photography-guidelines/
Interesting comparison to whales. Bit of a paradox with Sea World,
isn't
it?
Btw, did you read about the "tame" beluga whale with a harness that
showed up on Norwegian shores this winter? It was clearly seeking
contact and being very accustomed to taking food from human hands.
Rumor
has it that Russians have a programme to train belugas for
underwater
recon and scooping up mines, among other things.
https://www.dw.com/en/mystery-whale-found-near-norway-fuels-russian-navy-speculation/a-48536688
There's some added photography relevance there in that Audun
Rikardsen,
the professor quoted in the article is himself a champion of the BBC
Nature Photo Contest a few years ago.
Jostein
