Originally posted by pschlute It has been for many years. Unless you can do so without disturbing the birds or the young...dont do it.
Which makes perfect sense. I guess it's hard to judge the "without disturbing them" part. I should mention that I have never gone out of my way to look for nests, but I know some photographers that do.
---------- Post added 12-10-20 at 01:58 PM ----------
Originally posted by swanlefitte There is a tree in the middle of a park where people walk all the time. There is a robin nest in it. I tried getting a picture from 4 strides away and it disturbed the male. To get a clear shot would definitely stress the bird out. I left it at that with an unusable shot. The nest was abandoned but I think it built it during covid lockdown not knowing people would be there.
If you think about how close you can get to a bird on a branch before it feels uncomfortable and flies away, why would it feel comfortable with you closer to its babies.
Fair enough. With the DFA 150-450 you could photograph from a reasonable distance, depending on the size of the nest.
---------- Post added 12-10-20 at 02:00 PM ----------
Originally posted by Mooncatt A rule or not, I think most wildlife photographers try not to disturb the animals.
Likewise.
Quote: I happened to get... I hesitate to say lucky, due to the circumstances... Had the chance to photograph a robin nest with an egg in it a few months back. Where I work, we have an elevated rack to load tankers from the top manholes. Robins love building nests there despite us always working mere feet from where they put the nests. One laid a single egg, but seemed to almost immediately abandon it. I was able to snap a photo before the egg was taken by whatever got to it. Due to where the nest was, it's not like we could avoid it anyway. To do so would mean shutting the entire planet down due to not being able to load the trailers.
Sometimes they choose the wrong spot.
---------- Post added 12-10-20 at 02:02 PM ----------
Originally posted by ramseybuckeye If you disturb them at the nest you're too close.
True, but perhaps hard to judge.
Quote: Wildlife agents will close down access to nesting areas for some species. I know some areas on islands around here (Hampstead, NC) that are roped off much of the year for nesting. Back in Ohio bald eagle nest sites were roped off. A few years ago a building manager was going to let me and a few other photographers on the roof of a 14 floor building, but when we got there he apologized and said the wildlife agents had locked off the roof, apparently the peregrine falcons had started building their nests. Wildlife organizations and conservation groups and even the various state and federal governments have invested a lot of effort and money into helping many endangered species recover. Species like the bald eagles and peregrine falcons, two of the species nearly wiped out by pesticide use have made great recoveries after the ban of DDT, and protection and re-establishment of their nesting areas.
There's a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting on a building in Melbourne where a webcam has been set up. It's completely understandable to protect threatened species.