Looks like most of the action this winter is confined the east coast and the midwest. Hardly any sightings out here in the PNW.
Max
Posted by Luke Ormand on December 2, 2013 at 1:21 PM
Plenty here on Long Island - which has once again brought Birders to fight with Photographers... I don't understand why Snowy Owls are the holy grail for photographers and are so fiercly protected by Birders, but so many other species (whose numbers are actually in danger) are ignored. One person I know who is the president of a local audubon society was writing on her FB page about how we need to give Snowy's plenty of room and that no one should ever need to take a photograph of them because thousands of photos already exist, and therefore no photographer will capture an image that doesn't already exist.
Ok, go ahead and use that logic. BUT, this same person has no problem calling in Screech and GHO's. Why? She's seen them hundreds of times, she knows they are there, why are you calling them in and making them waste energy? It's no different than making a Snowy waste energy by spooking it.
Ok, /rant! Sorry!
Posted by Richard Hahn on December 2, 2013 at 10:20 PM
Luke,
If they want to use that logic, which is not to logical to me (just sayin) then they have no need to watch Snowy through binoculars or spoting scopes, they can just look up a picture of them on the internet. What I find interesting is that when word gets out about a rare or special bird in the area, the birders are there in force (one could even say that they are a flock of them). But at the same time usually there are only a few photographers trying to photograph the bird (s). Why is this okay to them.
Photographers have the same rights as birders and the bottom line anyone who is observing the birds should use care not to disturb or upset the bird (s). Just my opinion on this.
Discussion
2 repliesLooks like most of the action this winter is confined the east coast and the midwest. Hardly any sightings out here in the PNW.
Max
Ok, go ahead and use that logic. BUT, this same person has no problem calling in Screech and GHO's. Why? She's seen them hundreds of times, she knows they are there, why are you calling them in and making them waste energy? It's no different than making a Snowy waste energy by spooking it.
Ok, /rant! Sorry!
If they want to use that logic, which is not to logical to me (just sayin) then they have no need to watch Snowy through binoculars or spoting scopes, they can just look up a picture of them on the internet. What I find interesting is that when word gets out about a rare or special bird in the area, the birders are there in force (one could even say that they are a flock of them). But at the same time usually there are only a few photographers trying to photograph the bird (s). Why is this okay to them.
Photographers have the same rights as birders and the bottom line anyone who is observing the birds should use care not to disturb or upset the bird (s). Just my opinion on this.