Fabs Forns
06-29-2010, 01:08 PM
That time of the year again, and shorebirds and other species are raising the young. As photographers, we all would like to have images of this important phase of bird behavior, but we have to also consider out ethics and above all, the welfare of the birds.
First, there's a lot of differences between countries and the distance that needs to be kept from nesting birds and how used birds are to humans is another factor to consider.
Let's have Florida, for example, and I'm sure there are other locations where this holds true. Lots of shorebirds nest in public beaches. The nesting area gets cordoned off, but this barrier only works for us, not for the birds, who tend to ignore the boundaries. Snowy Plovers, for instance, are considered endangered by the State of Florida. But they nest in Sanibel Beach, a very popular place for swimmers, joggers, and shell collectors. These tiny puff balls are not fed when they fledge. The are taught to forage immediately, and being born in a public beach makes them totally fearless to humans, bicycles, boards or even dogs.
I have been on the sand, lying on my belly with my telephoto, and a two inch chick has come to check out my lens, almost getting inside my hood, making it impossible for my to photograph him.
Do we need to give them more space than the ropes allow? Of course, any responsible photographer knows the signs of stress in animals, it's not like they are shy about it :)
Giving priority to the bird's welfare should be part of everyone's field ethics, but at the same time, give others the benefit of the doubt when we see an image of chicks or nests, there's a big chance that the birds were not disturbed.
How it this situation on your area? What are your thoughts on the topic?
First, there's a lot of differences between countries and the distance that needs to be kept from nesting birds and how used birds are to humans is another factor to consider.
Let's have Florida, for example, and I'm sure there are other locations where this holds true. Lots of shorebirds nest in public beaches. The nesting area gets cordoned off, but this barrier only works for us, not for the birds, who tend to ignore the boundaries. Snowy Plovers, for instance, are considered endangered by the State of Florida. But they nest in Sanibel Beach, a very popular place for swimmers, joggers, and shell collectors. These tiny puff balls are not fed when they fledge. The are taught to forage immediately, and being born in a public beach makes them totally fearless to humans, bicycles, boards or even dogs.
I have been on the sand, lying on my belly with my telephoto, and a two inch chick has come to check out my lens, almost getting inside my hood, making it impossible for my to photograph him.
Do we need to give them more space than the ropes allow? Of course, any responsible photographer knows the signs of stress in animals, it's not like they are shy about it :)
Giving priority to the bird's welfare should be part of everyone's field ethics, but at the same time, give others the benefit of the doubt when we see an image of chicks or nests, there's a big chance that the birds were not disturbed.
How it this situation on your area? What are your thoughts on the topic?