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September 2014

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From:
Cynthia Carsey <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Cynthia Carsey <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 8 Sep 2014 21:52:00 -0400
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YES!!!!


On 9/8/2014 8:39 AM, jen brumfield wrote:
> Perhaps one way to lessen the age old (and its getting to be boring and over-dramatic at this point) birder-photographer tensions that occasionally and annually explode, is to look it in the eye and call it what it is, with a new and lighter "definition"--- all of us, and in our own unique styles and ways, are out there "bird appreciating." We're all bird appreciators. Some of us are more focused on photography, others go birding to socialize, others are backyard birding specialists that are elated to see feeder birds, others are totally into listing and chasing, others can't wait to see yet another Cedar Waxwing, because they're just that cool. If we try to lean away from titles and definitions (lister, photographer, etc) and remember what it is we're all out there doing, in our unique ways and unique personalities, then a greater respect for all types and manners of bird appreciating is born. The problem then, if there is a certain unethical action that comes to light (such as a person(s) sitting in the middle of an already very limited mudflat--habitat that's critical to the foraging of migrant birds) arises NOT from a particular GROUP, but singular INDIVIDUAL(s) from this vast collection of enthusiasts that we sum up as nature appreciation/birding. If David Sibley plopped down in the middle of a mudflat, sitting in the only puddle present at an important piece of habitat, and his actions displaced shorebirds, he would be an INDIVIDUAL making a poor choice. Not a "birder" or "photographer" or "lister" or "puddle-sitting enthusiast".....an individual. The same can be said for all vast groups of enthusiasts, including hunting and fishing, mountain biking, etc and beyond. There are INDIVIDUALS within these sports/hobbies/passions that make very poor choices, and unfortunately it's all too often that the entire sport/hobby is blamed, not the individual, for her or his own uniquely unfortunate actions. If we can all pause for a moment, even in the heat of frustration when we witness unethical actions, to remember that individuals are the source for their own poor choices, and in the meantime their actions can embarrass an entire group of passionate people who are out there making brilliant, respectful choices and having a jolly time at it. The definitions and mis-guided assumptions and blaming of "cliques" are getting old. Really old. When what it comes down to is the singular actions of singular peoples whose responsibilities lie on their own shoulders.
>
> JB
> CLE, OH
>
>
> On Sep 8, 2014, at 7:49 AM, "Jon" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> I digested this email for a couple of days.  I guess I understand being concerned about the behavior of photographers, but it seems to me that, like all things, the smallest number of offenders get the most attention.  I would like to think that I am a “dedicated birder”, but then again maybe I will be a one and a half-year wonder (as I complete my second year).  Only time will tell.
>>
>> I started birding through my camera lens.  Photography has been a part of my life for about 30 years now.  I only just bought my first pair of binoculars a little over a year ago and my first scope in January.  I have grown a pretty good life list and Ohio list over the past 9 months through both my own efforts and some kind mentors that have allowed me the privilege of spending time in the field with them (you folks know who you are).  My life list from Feb. 13 to Dec 31 of that year was 142.  I have seen 252 species in Ohio just this year and have photos of probably 85%+ of these birds.  Photography, for lack of a better metaphor, was my birding gateway drug.  I am now a birder who loves to take photos of birds.
>>
>> Some days my goals are different.  There are days when I leave the camera in the car and just bird.  This might be due to weather concerns, or maybe just because I do not want to schlep lbs of extra weight on the trails.  Some days I just want to take pictures of birds.  Would I don a wetsuit to get down close to ground and in the water to get a great shot?  Yes I would, if I could afford a wetsuit.  Does that make me part of the problem?  I don’t know.
>>
>> I know that I do my best to respect certain boundaries.  If I know that other folks are coming to see a bird, I will not get too close.  Once folks have seen a bird, then I might try to creep up closer to get a nice shot.  An example of this is the recent visit of a Wilson’s Phalarope in Hartville in Stark County.  The bird has been there at least a week and it is fair to assume that anyone highly motivated to see that bird has done so, so last Saturday I carefully and slowly crept as close to the water’s edge as I could.  No fuss…no muss….no panicking behavior by the birds.
>>
>> The other consideration is who owns the property and what the indicators are for being “out of bounds.”  Once I know that a place, say Wilderness Rd. in Wayne Co. is private property (as a friend reminded me last month), I will not venture out for any photography.  At a place like Conneaut in which there is a ton of other activity going on, it seems to me that one has a very wide range of freedom at getting closer to a bird, with the caveat that if an unusual or rare species lands that one does not go rushing over to get a shot and possibly drive the bird(s) away.  If I am in a nature preserve, I know that I cannot go “out of bounds” at all, so I respect that.  If I am in a county park that has no rules on boundaries, then I go where the birds take me, whether it is with my bins, my lens, or both.
>>
>> What is the point of all of this?  Well, I guess I find the comparison of photographers to hunters a bit offensive.  Apples and oranges and emotionally laden judgment comes to mind.  How exactly does this comparison enhance birding?  It seems to me that birders often behave just as poorly, sometimes worse, than photographers, or even hunters.  Vast generalizations lead to vast misunderstandings.  Do some photographers go too far?  Of course, but why is it so common that folks with cameras come under attack by birders?  This has been something I noted within my first WEEK of participation in birding social media.
>>
>> I do not like bird banding, but for the most part I have learned to sit on my hands when it comes up in social media.  I personally think it is inflicting suffering (and even pain) on animals that we purport to love.  If I creep up on a bird to take a photograph that bird can fly away, either a short distance or far away if that is what provides it a sense of safety.  If I feel like I got too close, I back off.  That is not an option for a bird being banded, held, and often PHOTOGRAPHED by observers or even banders.  The images are then shared in various kinds of media in the name of “education.”  I call that cognitive dissonance.
>>
>> The single most disappointing element of becoming a birder over the past 18 months has been learning that this activity is just like any other human endeavor…full of arbitrary lines drawn in the sand by “this type” and “that type”.  Maybe Bob was right when he said that going back to phone calls between limited circles of “elite” birders would be best, but unfortunately the genie is out of the bottle and social media is here to stay.  The question is, then, how to proceed in a way that does not attempt to create a hierarchy of who is or is not worthy of seeing something in nature.  I’ve not been in this long enough to answer that question, but I can tell you that the photos that I have taken over the past 18 months have educated and excited friends and family who were almost totally unaware of the birding world around them.  The first step toward conservation is awareness.
>>
>> Finally, and this is REALLY IMPORTANT, this is not directed at Bob Lane.  I like Bob.  He has been beyond kind to me and has helped me out in the field as I mentioned about my mentors above.  I am simply responding to a phenomenon that I have seen since my first days moving from a photographer who saw birds to a birder who strives to capture stunning images of birds.  Maybe we just do not know the folks that we judge so harshly?  Will Rogers said, “I don’t like that guy over there.  I need to get to know him better."
>>
>> Happy Birding AND photographing...
>>
>> Jon Cefus
>>
>>
>> “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”
>> -Douglas Adams
>>
>> On Sep 7, 2014, at 2:26 PM, robert lane <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> As many of you that subscribe to The Ohio Birds Listserv know, for numerous years I have posted highlights from this Ashtabula County birding hotspot; sometimes for probable self gratification, and hopefully other times, to provide noteworthy bird sightings to the Ohio birding community. The summer season and Labor Day have past by once again, the local Conneaut crazies have pretty much become a non distracting factor, and the infamous Port Authority grooming tractor appears to be retired for the year. The new annoyance is the abundance of what I consider non-birder photographers that seem to be flooding The Sandspit. I am not directing this statement toward dedicated birders that take photos, because I am one of them. Some of the photographers, by all means not all, that I am referring to, are like mercenaries, stalking the rare avian visitors on foot and in their vehicles, with their expensive and monstrous cameras, sometimes parking in the only remaining pool, to get close to the quarry, and even wearing wet suits to invade the visiting birds feeding areas. It was reported to me this morning, Sunday, that of the fifteen vehicles on The Sandspit at 8AM, twelve of them were photographers. My complaint is definitely a selfish one, this present eighty percent group is obviously using The Listserv for information, but are never going to provide any benefit to the birders that come here. The photographers do not post any of their sightings, and thus provide no record of what they see. It is unfortunate when birders wanting to see visiting celebrity birds do not get the opportunity, because of a select few of somewhat ruthless photographers, scaring the birds off. The Listserv is a wonderful tool, but sometimes provides a service that is not its intended purpose. Some birders will remember the most horrific, admitted use of The Listerv, by a group of hunters, that shot an immature male Harlequin Duck at East 72nd Street in Cleveland, on November 29th, 2008. Legally they did their deed in front of a group of birders, and then removed their trophy prize by boat, and then admitted how they found out about the Ohio unprotected rarity. Now you know part of my reluctance to post my sightings. Maybe we need to return to the days of phone call notifications. The problem with this is, that only a select few "Elitists" get to see the exciting and noteworthy finds. Highlights at The Sandspit by others this morning were 2 American Avocets, 2 Red Knots, 6 Common Mergansers, and a single Baird's Sandpiper.
>>>
>>> Bob Lane / Mahoning County
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