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Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1473

  • Ian Wilson
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In recent years I have become increasingly aware of the poor reputation of bird photographers in the birding community. I had thought this was due to the behaviour of a few inexperienced photographers, often with inappropriate gear, ignorant of birding ethics and the courtesy that we must show other birders we meet in the field. I never expected BirdLife photographers would be a problem. Unfortunately, I have had my confidence shaken a few times in the last few years and following an appalling incident yesterday on a BirdLife outing, I feel compelled to say something.

A group of about 15 members approached a sand-spit, a well-known roosting place for shore-birds on a rising tide. The birds were there in good numbers but so too was another birder with a scope. We exchanged pleasantries and asked if he was onto anything interesting. He explained that he was part of a local BirdLife group who were spread out around the bay and conducting a regular shorebird survey. We skirted around him and moved to a second sand-spit where the birds were expected to move as the tide rose. The tide did not rise as much as expected and no birds came to ‘our’ sand-spit. While we were waiting for some action, one of our group made a close approach to the birds on the first sand-spit and ended up about 50 m in front of the survey scope and the rest of the group. A few birds nervously left and no new flocks flew in as usually happens. I heard one of our most experienced members on several occasions exclaim “she’s going too close!” and Jill noticed the steam coming out of my ears and heard muttered expletives at which point she suggested we go home. I don’t know what the person doing the bird survey thought, I was embarrassed and angry, I hope there is no blow-back for our group as a consequence.

For anyone unfamiliar with field ethics, please take note. If you arrive at a place and find another birder quietly enjoying the birds, do not ignore him and assume you can do as you like. If you can make contact with him without disturbing the birds you may do so. He will probably be happy to tell you what he can see and if you ask can you join him, he will probably say yes. If he has a scope he will probably invite you to take a look at any special birds. The general rule to be strictly observed when you find another birder using a scope is not to advance closer to the birds than the scope or line of scopes if there is more than one. This particularly applies to shore-birding where observers are not only interested in what is in front but are waiting for the next wave of birds to arrive. If you are a photographer you will probably want to get closer to the birds in which case you will have to wait or go elsewhere and find your ‘own’ flock of birds. This scenario is regularly played out at the Western Treatment Plant where, especially on weekends, there is a phalanx of scopes at the main shore-bird roosts. You can stop and ask about any special sightings but don’t advance in front of the scopes to take pictures. The same rule applies if you come upon another photographer who has set up his tripod and is waiting for the perfect shot. He will probably already be as close as the birds will allow so if you go any closer there is a good chance the birds will take flight. If in doubt about how you should behave in the field, put yourself in the boots of the other birder and imagine how he is feeling about your actions.
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Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1475

  • David Seymour
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Hi Ian,

Good on you for bringing attention to this issue, which sadly seems to be becoming more prevalent at times. Even apart from the more serious issue of wildlife disturbance, to me this kind of thing comes down to an issue of basic etiquette, which you don't need to be a wildlife scientist to understand. I would hope that it would seem obvious to most Birdlife Photography members that if you turn up at a locality and knowingly position yourself in the line of sight between birders with scopes or photographers with or without tripods and the subjects they are viewing, when said people were there before you, you are simply being downright rude and inconsiderate and should perhaps be directed towards a revision course in basic manners. I'm not sure exactly why this is becoming a gradually increasing issue, but I have an overall impression of a steadily increasing tendency to self-centredness in parts of our society. I do think that when it happens in an excursion group associated with Birdlife Australia, the wrong-doer needs to be spoken to by the group leader to point out what they did wrong and the reasons why it was the wrong thing to do. If this doesn't happen, they are more likely to do it again. If the problem looks like becoming more than rare, it could be made a protocol that when heading to sensitive localities like the one you describe, the group leader spells out some of the most important behavioural rules to the group to remind them before proceeding to the locality.

Cheers, David
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Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1480

  • John Van Doorn
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Hi Ian,
Thank you for raising this issue.
In hindsight, personally, as leader I should have done more to bring back the young person who went so close. This was a learning experience for me.
We can't do anything more about the weekend. It's happened. But we can all learn from it to help ensure that type of situation doesn't happen again.
As you know, the group is a mix of very experienced birders to very inexperienced. I think that if someone is seen behaving inappropriately for whatever reason they should be told. It can be the person who notices the inappropriate behaviour or, if they feel uncomfortable about that, to let the leader know so that he or she can take some action. Not everyone knows proper etiquette and they won't know if they never get any feedback.
Personally, I would have been grateful if someone had said to me "hey I think that that person is getting to close and maybe she should be called back". I think it would have got me to act, she would have learnt what she was doing wrong, there would be more happy birders and there might even have been more birds.
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Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1484

  • David Seymour
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After a bit of homework, I reminded myself that a proportion of the issues involved here are covered in the Birdlife Australia document Ethical Birding Guidelines, on the following link:

Ethical Birding Guidelines

Relevant sections include:
Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger
Flushing
Photography
Practice common courtesy in interactions with other people
Group Birding Ethics

I think the above document is well worth a read for anyone interested in this topic. Personally I think the guidelines need a bit of work in regard to additional wording to cover some of the particular issues which may be faced by Birdlife Photography groups and individuals, but they're a good start. One point of note, though, is that (if I'm not mistaken) it is possible to join Birdlife Photography without being a member of Birdlife Australia? Perhaps Birdlife Photography needs its own Ethical Bird Photography document?

Cheers,
David Seymour
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Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1486

  • Rob Parker
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Hi David,

We have an Ethical Birding policy, which is much more comprehensive than the BirdLife Australia document you referenced. You can find it here: birdlifephotography.org.au/index.php/about-us/our-policies

It does not cover birding etiquette - which is a somewhat different subject than ethics.

And yes, people can now join BirdLife Photography without needing to be a member of BirdLife Australia, or an affiliated organisation. That change - very recent - was due to changes in BirdLife Australia's membership categories, and it has their approval (as we are one of their Special Interest Groups). You can read details of membership requirements on this page: birdlifephotography.org.au/index.php/about-us/membership

Rob
BirdLife Photography Website Administrator
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Last edit: by Rob Parker.

Inconsiderate Bird Photographers are Bad News 6 years 4 months ago #1487

  • David Seymour
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Hi Rob,

Apologies for not referencing Birdlife Photography's Ethical Birding policy in my comments, and in my closing question making it sound like BLP didn't have an ethics document, an error on my part as I was aware of the BLP policy document.

However it seems to me that, while comprehensive in the important subjects it covers, the Birdlife Photography policy document as it stands really only covers two subjects: nesting bird photography, and the use of bird call playback for attracting birds - neither of which I felt were directly pertinent to the specific problem raised by Ian in this topic. The Birdlife Photography policy does refer to the Birdlife Australia Ethical Birding Guidelines in a couple of places, but the latter document covers a much wider range of subjects, and I personally think it appropriate that it includes sections pertaining to etiquette (which I've always considered to be an integral part of ethical behaviour).

I think I would be correct in my interpretation that the Birdlife Australia guidelines (except for any that are superseded by BLP policy) should apply to all members of Birdlife Photography (whether or not they are BA members), as the Birdlife Australia website describes Birdlife Photography as "the photography Special Interest Group of Birdlife Australia". However, perhaps this is not made crystal clear in the Birdlife Photography policy document, which in part reads: "It should also be noted that for BirdLife Photography members these guidelines on Nesting Bird Photography and Call Playback supersede any corresponding sections in the BirdLife Australia Ethical Birding Guidelines". Perhaps what might be missed by someone reading that is that the remainder of the Birdlife Austalia Guidlines (i.e. the parts not superseded by the BLP policy) are still intended to apply to Birdlife Photography members? I think it's important as those many other guidelines at least partially cover the type of issue that Ian originally posted about.

Further apologies if I seem a bit fixated on this, but in Tasmania recently we've had to tolerate some appalling examples of disrespect for our wildlife (both mammals and birds) by what we hope is a minority of both tourists and local residents (and even Government Business Enterprises), and I believe that formal national organisations of the ilk of Birdlife Australia and its subsidiary Birdlife Photography absolutely need to ensure that we represent the Gold Standard when it comes to ethics and behaviour in the field.

Cheers,
David
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Last edit: by David Seymour. Reason: typo correction
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