Photographers who find or know where a certain species of bird or mammal is, will try to keep the location to themselves for as long as possible. The reason for this secrecy is, they want to get their images unencumbered by others who will decamp on-mass and who have equipment that defies the budget deficit, but alas possess no field-craft. There could be other considerations of course, for instance the protection of the species, or maybe you have spent weeks baiting a spot, and rightly consider this your own.
A nice wing stretch |
This bloody sand gets everywhere |
During the digestion period you can have a cup of coffee and have chat then crucially just before they return get in position and wait. The birds will tolerate you if you stay still, but will not if you approach them while they are feeding, they will simply fly off.
Love this shot doing what comes naturally |
Of course passers by and dog walkers (bless em) will spook the the birds, that is par for the course, but what really annoys me is when photographers spook them. Well sad to say that happened later in the day as one snapper in particular consistently approached the birds, not by crawling but walking bolt upright towards the feeding birds. Well he in particular pissed the birds and me off. But you see it didn't matter to him, as he explained he was local and could get his shots anytime.
This bird was foraging for seed among the boulders |
Pity the poor traveler who had spent a small fortune on petrol, and Joe, as he is a school lad, he could only get there at the weekend and had come down from Manchester by train, I think it cost him something like £12.50, and the birdwatchers on the platform and of course let us not forget the Snow Buntings.
Fortitude