Endangered Species : threats from Twitchers & Photographers

[peachfront]

A couple years ago, I was about 115 yards (according to my rangefinder) from a local and well known eagle nest. A less than pleasant "scientist" was telling me I was too close to the nest (standing in a public parking lot). The next day, that same "scientist" and about 10 others had 2 tables set up under the tree while one of them climbed the tree, removed eaglets from the nest to band them, weigh them, and draw blood samples.

Now, you tell me, which one of us was harassing the nest?

Jeff

One of the worst stories I've heard about this comes from a rural South American country. Apparently, a famous ornithologist campaigned to stop local people from hunting birds for food-- but he himself was hunting birds to collect specimens. Like... he thought he could tell the people who lived there not to hunt birds and then he could come in and... start hunting birds? Really? What was he thinking? But that was over a decade ago, hopefully this kind of thing no longer occurs.

But this disturbance of nests is still a thing. I was in Ecuador in December, and the lek of the Club-winged Manakin was gone that had been there for years. Birders and photographers weren't the issue. The guide said scientists had come in, over protest of the tour companies, and physically trapped and handled the birds to band them. Very disappointing. This was too much, and the lek dispersed.

 

[macwalter]

Yup the same old story. Too many people and fewer and fewer places for wildlife to exist. It’s getting to the point that soon only the privileged wealthy will be able to go anywhere so see decent amounts of wildlife. In my experience the numbers of neo tropical migrants has decreased significantly and is no longer reliable when they are passing through. Even in the tropics the numbers have diminished and many guides are commenting on this. I firmly believe that due to the lack of political will and neglect supported by a population of people with the same views things will only get worse. The 6th extinction is going to happen, it already is.
in my area people don’t respect the laws concerning wildlife areas and people with dogs are often the worst and there are too few officers to enforce the laws.

 

[bhiggins]

I have seen it all and much I do not commend. I have seen a person hitting a tree with a Screech Owl borrow trying to get it to show itself. I have seen groups arrive before a park gate is open with a cart which is loaded with tripods which then gets sent around the gate on foot so the tripod can be setup in the optimal positions before anyone else. These same people also will not let you take a turn at the space to get a shot. Sites where safety, park rules, and ethics do not stop people from jumping over the top of a retaining wall perched at the top of a 530 foot sheer walls. I have seem a person cutting limbs of a tree while the Saw Whet was perched one branch above, catching daylight sleep, just to get a better shot. Sites that had to be shut down and patrolled to keep people from areas. But I have also seen where wildlife has become accustomed to human. Here in northern New Jersey we have too many people an too little wild space. So we have no wildlife management in the form of hunting. The White Tailed deer population in out of control they run the streets like Elk at Yellowstone and they will stroll right near you. Last week we bought mums to place at the sides of our front door.The deer have eaten all the flowers they walk right up onto the porch even with three dogs in the house. We also have a pair of Peregrine Falcons that do not give human a second thought landing on perches 15 feet away from you while you are standing there. I used to go to Florida each winter and marveled at the casual behavior birds had with humans there. A Blue Heron here is pretty much unapproachable yet places like Ding Darling they ignore you completely. So I think photographers first should learn and adopt good ethical practices, then they should learn how to read wildlife behavior for fright and flight. I don't believe in baiting or call in the latter I see more frequently due to apps that have bird calls and even people setting up speakers to broadcast the calls. I will not post locations, fledgling birds, or threatened species during active periods. Like with fledge Peregrines I wait until after they have left the area. I do have to say, sorry CR wildlife, I do support and participate (Migration Counts and nest monitoring) in scientific encounters, especially counts and banding. It gives us important information present, present, future about the heath, safety, and survivability of species...report those band numbers.

Attachment: Signs like these had to be put up because photographers and birders were blocking the views of people who just stopped to take in the view.

 

[macwalter]

I do remember this as well at hi island texas. There would only be a few good viewing spots and these guys, all Asian would set up their big rigs and though supposed to move every half hour would stay all. I finally got pissed off and stood in front so I could shoot for a few minutes.