Show your Bird Portraits

Jul 21, 2010
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I fully agree with you about respecting birds on nests and do the same. I had checked the distance on your EXIF and it was reading 74m away, so I had felt reassured and I then did a "like" after that. We have a local Peregrine pair that nest on a ledge not high up on a busy road in the centre of our town and is completely used to having people around. We have another pair in a park that nest on a ledge on a cliff about 80m from a viewing area. In both cases, it's clearly OK to take photos on conservation grounds, and our law on bird protection allows you to take photos from a public footpath for protected birds if you are not obtrusive.
Also agree. I have taken a few images of birds in nests, always with conservation principles in mind. This owlet was actually from a relatively close distance (17 m according to the EXIF) – the nest was at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, America's first landscaped garden cemetery and a well-known spot for birdwatchers (especially during the spring warbler migration). In this case, the Audubon Society had taped off an area around the nesting site to keep people away, important because although it's a quiet area there is ample foot and vehicle traffic through the cemetery grounds.

"Great Horned Owlet"
Great Horned Owlet.jpg
EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, 1/500 s, f/5.6, ISO 400

Although no longer listed as endangered in Massachusetts, there are estimated to be only <80 pairs of bald eagles in the state. A few years ago, a fellow birdwatcher and Audubon Society member took me to the location of a nesting site. In this case, we were quite distant – 150 m according to the EXIF, and on the opposite side of the Merrimack River.

Bald Eagle Nest.jpg
EOS 1D X, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4x III, 1/1600 s, f/6.3, ISO 500
 
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macrunning

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Feb 12, 2021
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Also agree. I have taken a few images of birds in nests, always with conservation principles in mind. This owlet was actually from a relatively close distance (17 m according to the EXIF) – the nest was at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, America's first landscaped garden cemetery and a well-known spot for birdwatchers (especially during the spring warbler migration). In this case, the Audubon Society had taped off an area around the nesting site to keep people away, important because although it's a quiet area there is ample foot and vehicle traffic through the cemetery grounds.

"Great Horned Owlet"
View attachment 205700
EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, 1/500 s, f/5.6, ISO 400

Although no longer listed as endangered in Massachusetts, there are estimated to be only <80 pairs of bald eagles in the state. A few years ago, a fellow birdwatcher and Audubon Society member took me to the location of a nesting site. In this case, we were quite distant – 150 m according to the EXIF, and on the opposite side of the Merrimack River.

View attachment 205701
EOS 1D X, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4x III, 1/1600 s, f/6.3, ISO 500
Nice shots. When I was younger I traveled down rt 20 many times. Now that I am older I wish I had spent more time admiring these places and the wildlife there.
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Apr 30, 2017
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Alan, was it a warm, humid, spray-ful day?
I got the point of your question but you should ask also what were the conditions 1-2 days before: if the dirt and water are still warmer than the air you will get the +/- same effect (may be not that pronounsed but the distance matters too...).
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Also agree. I have taken a few images of birds in nests, always with conservation principles in mind. This owlet was actually from a relatively close distance (17 m according to the EXIF) – the nest was at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, America's first landscaped garden cemetery and a well-known spot for birdwatchers (especially during the spring warbler migration). In this case, the Audubon Society had taped off an area around the nesting site to keep people away, important because although it's a quiet area there is ample foot and vehicle traffic through the cemetery grounds.

"Great Horned Owlet"
View attachment 205700
EOS 7D, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM @ 400mm, 1/500 s, f/5.6, ISO 400

Although no longer listed as endangered in Massachusetts, there are estimated to be only <80 pairs of bald eagles in the state. A few years ago, a fellow birdwatcher and Audubon Society member took me to the location of a nesting site. In this case, we were quite distant – 150 m according to the EXIF, and on the opposite side of the Merrimack River.

View attachment 205701
EOS 1D X, EF 600mm f/4L IS USM + EF 1.4x III, 1/1600 s, f/6.3, ISO 500
What I know is you are not suppose to draw a pictures of Mohammad in some religions (I have no idea how it's with the photos but I'm pretty sure the photos are no problem by some reasons:)). Disclaimer - I'm nor religious at all and it's not an attack to any religion - I'm just saying what I believe (it's a religion too as I see it)!
When you are not suppose to take photos of bird's nests (no matter of the species and it's behavior, no matter of the distance...) it looks like a kind of religion developed by pseudo birders or real birders/scientist that don't have much of real experience/publications and are trying to get a popularity by somewhat strange/unproven climes. I
'm interested by birds from age ~7-8 years old. I had many interactions with birds (small fragment of all existing species of birds off course!) but what I can say is: at least the species I know - non of them was that dramatically disturbed by my presence around the nest! In age 7-8 years old I was getting 5-6 meters from the nest to make them flush (sorry it wasn't my intend!). They never left the chicks! They successfully grow their chicks and I was really happy to see these chicks trying to fly around:ROFLMAO:. Good times deep in the past...
On other hand I would be not surprised if there are some species that are more sensitive - I just have no experience with such...
Anyway - I understand why CR1 is taking that kind of sharp language but here we are mix of photogs/birders/ - and actually both of this:). Many have rather big experience with the birds and I honestly believe non in this forum will really make some damage to the birds!
Off course for some extremist even looking at bird could be NO! NO!
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Birders I know genuinely care about the welfare of birds. For those that don't care, the law comes in. Many countries have laws and have signed up to International conventions on the protection of birds. In the UK, for example, we have the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981


which has specifically in it:

"All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions...
Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird. "

Schedule 1 birds are listed here

Some birds are more sensitive than others to disturbance.

The EU has directives, listed here https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/birdsdirective/index_en.htm
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Birders I know genuinely care about the welfare of birds. For those that don't care, the law comes in. Many countries have laws and have signed up to International conventions on the protection of birds. In the UK, for example, we have the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981


which has specifically in it:

"All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions...
Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird. "

Schedule 1 birds are listed here

Some birds are more sensitive than others to disturbance.

The EU has directives, listed here https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/birdsdirective/index_en.htm
"Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird"
I think the words in bold are explaining every thing.
After that "while it is nest building" are really important! Many birds would abort a "nest building" if there is a traffic around (not necessarily by humans!!! Do you apply your human lows to a wild animals too?!).
The low is created by humans - usually without enough resources for real research. For reason - there are always more important things to research down! - and that is the real problem I think? On other hand - yes I'm agree that existing lows are better than no lows - always!

Here is my humble contribution from today. Common migrants in difficult light... It wouldn't be that difficult if I went into the water from the opposite site:D

DSC_8050_DxO-1.jpgDSC_8078_DxO-1.jpg
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Do you apply your human lows to a wild animals too?!).
The low is created by humans - usually without enough resources for real research. For reason - there are always more important things to research down! - and that is the real problem I think? On other hand - yes I'm agree that existing lows are better than no lows - always!
Human laws apply to the owners of pets, which should be kept under control. But, wild animals don't obey human laws. Humans sometimes do intervene by killing predators individually or by exterminating unnaturally introduced species like goats on a Galapagos island or rats on islands around New Zealand.
 
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Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
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Nov 7, 2013
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There were some other small birds, but 80m away. Nevertheless I got some shots for the record, a Little Stint, Dunlin and Curlew Sandpiper, and Ringed Plover that was closer.

View attachment 205684
Hi Alan! What happened to this first picture?
It looks more like a painting to me.
Did you use an artistic filter? Too much cropping? Or...? :unsure:
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Aug 16, 2012
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Hi Alan! What happened to this first picture?
It looks more like a painting to me.
Did you use an artistic filter? Too much cropping? Or...? :unsure:
The Little Stint is only 12-14cm long and it was ~80m away. As I wrote, the shot was just for the record - upscaled from a couple of hundred pixels to display it. If you want some high resolution ones, here is a Pectoral Sandpiper and a Ringed Plover that I got when I went back a couple of days ago and they came much closer to about 20m. RF + 100-500 @ 1000mm.

309A9325-DxO_Pectoral_Sandpiper.jpg309A9389-DxO_Ringed_Plover.jpg
 
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