The Ethics of Wild Bird Photography

Beagletorque

Beagletorque

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As some of you may know I'm having trouble getting to grips with the ethics of bird photography, so I thought I would start this thread to elicit some help. I don't want sweeping statements about how you would never do anything to harm the birds you shoot, but examples of where to draw the line, one way and the other.

I'll start you off with a few examples, then please post some of your own, I'm a quick learner...

It's OK to attract birds into your garden, by feeding them, then photograph them while they are there, but you should not use flash and you should conceal yourself in a hide so as not to scare them. The food must be dispensed adlib and not replaced individually after each shot.

A collared dove is nesting in my Acacia tree, I can take photo from the other end of my garden of the bird on the nest, but I can't climb a ladder to photograph her close-up. The minimum distance from nest to lens must be at least XX meters?

It's OK to go to an RSPB reserve and photograph cliff nesting birds, as long as I stick to the designated path. If I see a bird nesting on a cliff and it’s not an RSPB reserve then I should not photograph it.

I took a trip to Skomer to photograph Puffins. It's OK to get up close, but only if the bird comes to you, you should try not sit on its burrow though.

It’s OK to hide in the bushes to wait for a bird to photograph as long as the bird does not know you are there and you do not startle it by using flash or loud, high speed shutter noise.


OK it’s over to you experts, come on, help me out here.....:help:
 
First and most important rule is the welfare of the bird must come first, if its disturbed by your presence back off.

Frankly be careful around breeding birds at all times, some are protected by law. (schedule 1)

Learn about your subject, all species have different tolerances of approach and you need to understand their comfort zone. Fieldcraft is so important in these matters.

Patience, Patience, Patience, learn to wait in my case 6 years and still going to achieve one shot.

Practice, Practice, Practice, plenty easy subject matter at your local pond wildfowl etc or as you say a garden feeding station, start easy, get it right move on to the next level.

By studying their habits, you can be in place before they are and they will be more inclined to accept you as long as your quiet and blending in your surroundings.

I use the above method on a rising tide, sit on a rock and wait for the waders to come to the food being revealed, as the tide gets closer so do the birds,

Doesn't matter what length lens you have you will always want a longer one. :)

Reserves are good places to go, places like the Farne islands allow very close contact with the birds, sadly this can be abused by some, again the birds come first.

Join your local bird group, and you will get loads of advice and chances that will open up to you once you become a trusted member.
All the above applies equally to other subjects in nature mammals insects orchids etc.

I observed wildlife for many years before i started using a camera, now i happily combine the two.

Very important point, if you forget your camera, its sods law that's the day the best shot ever will turn up. Many Kodak moments missed over the years.

PS I'm not an expert, but i will settle for being an enthusiast.
 
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The basic rule is disturbance. If you are causing some harm to the bird then it's a nono.

Some birds and areas are more naturalised to people and so it's ok to get photos.
For example, near me there is a shag colony that is right next to a path frequented by people anyway so they are fine (not stressed at all) with people being near and therefore me taking photos.

Flash can be fine with birds by the way on feeders etc, but i personally wouldn't try flash with birds that aren't naturalised with people, just purely because i wouldn't want to scare them away (birds on the nest are a different matter though, i'd not want to risk the bird deserting the nest).

Some stalking and therefore possible flushing can be ok in the right circumstances.
I won't try to stalk migrants that have just arrived and are weak and need to feed, or in very cold weather when flushing a bird would cause it to use up valuable energy reserves (which could then end in possible death).
When i stalk a wader for example, it sometimes involves crawling on my chest to get to it without alarming it, but then when i have finished taking photos of it, i don't just stand up and walk off and scare the bird in the process. I crawl back away from it again.

The situation you mentioned with the collared dove... you could carefully introduce a hide a good distance away and move it slightly closer every couple of days till it was in range of telephoto lenses.
To have a really close-up camera usually requires a camera or hide being put in place before the bird starts to nest.

In any situation you just have to learn the signs that an animal is BEGINNING to get stressed and if the animal is in a critical situation (either breeding, difficult circumstances in feeding or if it moving would possibly endanger it) immediately stop what you are doing and don't get closer.

At the end of the day, a stressed animal doesn't make a good photo usually anyway.
 
I applaud you for having the courage to stand up and ask about this after what happened with the other thread by the way
 
It's OK to attract birds into your garden by feeding them. Yes.
Then photograph them while they are there. Yes.
But you should not use flash. A matter of choice
And you should conceal yourself in a hide so as not to scare them. Not necessarily so.
The food must be dispensed adlib and not replaced individually after each shot. That would make sense.
 
Cuddy said:
:thinking:
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Shots of birds on and around the nest Brian for your info :cuckoo: I viewed the post very early in the morning before it had received any replies. I refrained myself from answering, and I am glad I did as a ban from TP is something I did not want :D Still lesson learnt I suppose.
 
u8myufo said:
Shots of birds on and around the nest Brian for your info :cuckoo: I viewed the post very early in the morning before it had received any replies. I refrained myself from answering, and I am glad I did as a ban from TP is something I did not want :D Still lesson learnt I suppose.
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Cheers Rich, did not see the thread myself.
 
Beagletorque said:
you should conceal yourself in a hide so as not to scare them.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to bother concealing myself in a hide when I'm out doing some gardening or just lying out there grabbing some rays. If that doesn't scare them then I can't imaging how photographing them will do so.
 
Beagletorque said:
It's OK to go to an RSPB reserve and photograph cliff nesting birds, as long as I stick to the designated path. If I see a bird nesting on a cliff and it’s not an RSPB reserve then I should not photograph it.
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I'm not into photographing birds and so don't feel I can comment on much of your post but this one really confuses me.
If you are there, on land that's not an RSPB reserve, and you see a bird then what harm does lifting a camera to your face and firing a couple of shots do?
 
Beagletorque said:
It's OK to go to an RSPB reserve and photograph cliff nesting birds, as long as I stick to the designated path. If I see a bird nesting on a cliff and it’s not an RSPB reserve then I should not photograph it.
Click to expand...



Maybe I'm missing something but this doesn't make much sense to me. Why would it be more OK to risk disturbing birds on an RSPB reserve than disturbing birds not on a reserve?

My local reserve is Leighton Moss and the amount of disturbance that goes on there from visitors, and management waaaay aoutdoes the sound of a shutter firing.
 
fixedimage said:
I'm not into photographing birds and so don't feel I can comment on much of your post but this one really confuses me.
If you are there, on land that's not an RSPB reserve, and you see a bird then what harm does lifting a camera to your face and firing a couple of shots do?
Click to expand...

Greywolf said:
Maybe I'm missing something but this doesn't make much sense to me. Why would it be more OK to risk disturbing birds on an RSPB reserve than disturbing birds not on a reserve?

My local reserve is Leighton Moss and the amount of disturbance that goes on there from visitors, and management waaaay aoutdoes the sound of a shutter firing.
Click to expand...



I think all the OP's 'statements' should have actually had one of these >> '?' - which might them suddenly seem more sensical ;)
 
But then the quoted sentence would need:

'Is it OK.......'
and
'...should I not....'

or is this just pendantry on my part for correct English.
 
Well I am just a country bumpkin, so proper English is not my forty :thinking::D But to me it looks like the Op is asking questions and giving the answers in the same sentance, which is causing my two brain cells to collide with each other :nuts:
 
Ouch!! That sounds a bit cataclysmic Rich!! All sounds like a bit of a storm in bird feeder to me. Can't see myself creeping over the moors in my carpet slippers to avoid disturbing the hares. They'll get a sight more crap scared out of them by the stoats and weasels than they will from me.
 
Greywolf said:
Maybe I'm missing something but this doesn't make much sense to me. Why would it be more OK to risk disturbing birds on an RSPB reserve than disturbing birds not on a reserve?

My local reserve is Leighton Moss and the amount of disturbance that goes on there from visitors, and management waaaay aoutdoes the sound of a shutter firing.
Click to expand...

i supose you could argue that the birds on a reserve are more used to it and therefore less disturbed.

but my basic rule is that the welfare of the subject comes first (wherever it is)
 
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