Every Bird Photographer's Nightmare

[ktuli]

*sigh*

- Bill

PS: These are Greater White-fronted Geese - a species that despite having one of the largest ranges of any goose species is rarely reported in this area (or anywhere east of the Mississippi River for that matter), but I've managed to see them the past couple days and have heard of numerous reports of them throughout the whole area. Not sure why their migration route is so different this year, but I'll keep trying to sneak in closer to try for more/better photos while they are here!

[NorthernFocus]

Photographer's nightmare? The birds probably didn't enjoy it either.

...These are Greater White-fronted Geese - a species that despite having one of the largest ranges of any goose species is rarely reported in this area (or anywhere east of the Mississippi River for that matter), but I've managed to see them the past couple days and have heard of numerous reports of them throughout the whole area. Not sure why their migration route is so different this year, but I'll keep trying to sneak in closer to try for more/better photos while they are here!

Perhaps we should consider why they are where they don't belong. Perhaps it is associated with the severe weather that's been occurring in the eastern half of the country this year. Perhaps they are stressed and disoriented and simply trying to rest and rebuild their energy reserves so they can continue their migration. Perhaps unnecessarily flushing and spending more time burning energy and less time eating is a bad thing for them. Perhaps...

[pnodrog]

"Every Bird Photographer's Nightmare"

Reality not nightmare.......

[IzzieK]

Well...at least you tried...unfortunately, I do not know what to say. I think Dan's perhaps brings a bit of insight as to the many whys of the situation...

[Shadowman]

Nice capture.

[wtlwdwgn]

Yep, multiple butt shots.

[flashback]

Photographer's nightmare? The birds probably didn't enjoy it either.

Perhaps we should consider why they are where they don't belong. Perhaps it is associated with the severe weather that's been occurring in the eastern half of the country this year. Perhaps they are stressed and disoriented and simply trying to rest and rebuild their energy reserves so they can continue their migration. Perhaps unnecessarily flushing and spending more time burning energy and less time eating is a bad thing for them. Perhaps...

There is a Lesser White-fronted Goose in Iceland that, while enroute to the UK has been known to show up in the Eastern U.S., these two species are considered to be very difficult to differentiate so they could be just an unusual migrant. My understanding is that they will simply return to Iceland when they would have left the UK.

As to disturbing them, agreed that any time an animal is forced to move as a result of human presence or interaction we impose on them a stress something greater than that which they would have ordinarily experienced. The only way I see around that is for humans to not go out into the wilderness, forest or local woodlot on pain of stressing creatures therein. Or, we accept that some disturbance is acceptable and inevitable. A vehicle passing along the road, a snow machine riding the trails, the sound of a shotgun echoing through the valley and yes, that most sacrosanct of all winter activities, the cross country skier, all of these activities disturbs wildlife to a greater or lesser degree. As does the presence of a photographer. So one can either ban any activity that creates a disturbance or simply accept that disturbances will happen. But you know, I'm not gonna get all preachy about it.

[IzzieK]

In short, Jack...everyone should stay in their own coop. LOL...I think I need a stretcher to grin this boredom of winter...gotta do some activity like yelling and screaming at the birds in my backyard feeders?

[rtbaum]

...gotta do some activity like yelling and screaming at the birds in my backyard feeders?

Tried that.....they just look at me with disdain....then yell at me to buy better seed!!!!

[marlunn]

yup, got lots of them in the bin - backends - normally as they fly overhead and I am waaay too slow to catch them!

[Davejl]

I actually rather like this image. I used to refer to bird watching as "peering up ducks bums with a pair of binoculars". I've now started doing it myself (with camera, not bins). Your shot is full of action and rather like a painting.

[IzzieK]

I actually rather like this image. I used to refer to bird watching as "peering up ducks bums with a pair of binoculars". I've now started doing it myself (with camera, not bins). Your shot is full of action and rather like a painting.

OK...you got a way of looking at this shot. I will try to look at bins differently from now on. (I am not joking...) Everything is a treasure I suppose...it just how one looks at it..

[Chayelle]

Yep!
A time or two...

[Wavelength]

Classic

[NorthernFocus]

...Or, we accept that some disturbance is acceptable and inevitable...

I wasn't suggesting that we all convert to street photography. It was rather an attempt at offering an alternative view to "...keep trying to sneak in closer to try for more/better photos while they are here...".

Goodness knows I have and continue to unintentionally disturb wildlife all the time. In my youth killed quite a lot, both fur and feather. And where I live it's rather difficult not to get crosswise with a creature or two now and then. But being older and of milder disposition, now I try to give the critters a break when I visit their home. In spite of my passion for wildlife photography I've passed on many a photo op when I didn't think I could get a shot without bothering a critter. After all to us it's just a photo. They're trying to make a (difficult) living.

Many people only consider "bird butt" shots unacceptable due to lack of eye contact. However, that "standard" began long ago with professional wildlife photographers to deter flushing grounded/treed birds simply for the opportunity of capturing in-flight images. I'm not suggesting that was the case in this image. Simply offering food for thought in the context of this being a learning forum

[rpcrowe]

How about this tongue in cheek YouTube video by Tony and Chelsea Northrup. I think that Chelsea did a great job of dead-pan acting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODIUaPooKGw