Post by colinbirdlover on Jun 15, 2007 7:20:26 GMT -8
Good morning everyone,
This message was passed on to me by a very ethical, responsible
wildlife photographer. They have done work photographing/documenting Yellow Breasted Chats in the Okanagan, at the request of a researcher with the Canadian Wildlife Service. This involved trying to photograph adults and nests, without removing any vegetation whatsoever.
Unfortunately, this CWS researcher's field crew recently came across a photographer who had removed a significant amount of vegetation to get a better shot of the nest and chicks, and admitted to being there for 3 days. The disturbing message from this researcher follows, below the dotted line.
Colin Clasen
Coquitlam, B.C.
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Quoting "Bishop,CAB [PYR]" <CAB.Bishop@ec.gc.ca>:
Hello all,
Today our field crew came across this wildlife photographer at one of our chat nests in the South Okanagan Wildlife Management Area. The biologist was shocked to find that Donald Waite had cut a path and a 5ft sq. patch of wild rose out of the bush to completely expose a chat nest so that he could photograph it and its contents. He said he had been there 3 days! He also said that after he finishes photographing
birds on nests he puts the vegetation (dead veg I suppose) back around nests so no harm done! The chat chicks were still in the nest but Rene weighed them and they were 2-3 grams underweight for their age suggesting that the birds were not fed at the normal rate, likely due to disturbance. We don't know how this person figured out exactly where and how to find chat nests because as you may know they are d**n cryptic and once
the birds are nesting the adults don't sing much. He did say he has someone who helps him find nests but he did not reveal who it is. He also said he was in process of also photographing a grosbeak nest at South Okanagan Wildlife Management Area. When he was asked to leave, he then asked if it was ok to come back tomorrow to photograph the birds fledging!
He claimed ignorance of the impact he might be having on the birds on their nest and their habitat around the nest esp. of a Species at Risk residence. However I suspect this person knew very well that what he was doing was not ethical. Perhaps you know this person and have had a better experience with him. However based on this situation, I felt I needed to alert wildlife people about this incident.
If you are approached by this person for access or suggestions on where to go to photograph wildlife please be aware of this situation. If you are inclined, please also pass this information on to as many people as you know in the Okanagan valley and elsewhere, I am not on my office computer so I don't have my full email list.
His web site is: globalbirdphotos.com
Donald Waite is based in Maple Ridge.
Thanks,
Christine Bishop
Canadian Wildlife Service
CAB.Bishop@ec.gc.ca
This message was passed on to me by a very ethical, responsible
wildlife photographer. They have done work photographing/documenting Yellow Breasted Chats in the Okanagan, at the request of a researcher with the Canadian Wildlife Service. This involved trying to photograph adults and nests, without removing any vegetation whatsoever.
Unfortunately, this CWS researcher's field crew recently came across a photographer who had removed a significant amount of vegetation to get a better shot of the nest and chicks, and admitted to being there for 3 days. The disturbing message from this researcher follows, below the dotted line.
Colin Clasen
Coquitlam, B.C.
-----------------------------------------------------
Quoting "Bishop,CAB [PYR]" <CAB.Bishop@ec.gc.ca>:
Hello all,
Today our field crew came across this wildlife photographer at one of our chat nests in the South Okanagan Wildlife Management Area. The biologist was shocked to find that Donald Waite had cut a path and a 5ft sq. patch of wild rose out of the bush to completely expose a chat nest so that he could photograph it and its contents. He said he had been there 3 days! He also said that after he finishes photographing
birds on nests he puts the vegetation (dead veg I suppose) back around nests so no harm done! The chat chicks were still in the nest but Rene weighed them and they were 2-3 grams underweight for their age suggesting that the birds were not fed at the normal rate, likely due to disturbance. We don't know how this person figured out exactly where and how to find chat nests because as you may know they are d**n cryptic and once
the birds are nesting the adults don't sing much. He did say he has someone who helps him find nests but he did not reveal who it is. He also said he was in process of also photographing a grosbeak nest at South Okanagan Wildlife Management Area. When he was asked to leave, he then asked if it was ok to come back tomorrow to photograph the birds fledging!
He claimed ignorance of the impact he might be having on the birds on their nest and their habitat around the nest esp. of a Species at Risk residence. However I suspect this person knew very well that what he was doing was not ethical. Perhaps you know this person and have had a better experience with him. However based on this situation, I felt I needed to alert wildlife people about this incident.
If you are approached by this person for access or suggestions on where to go to photograph wildlife please be aware of this situation. If you are inclined, please also pass this information on to as many people as you know in the Okanagan valley and elsewhere, I am not on my office computer so I don't have my full email list.
His web site is: globalbirdphotos.com
Donald Waite is based in Maple Ridge.
Thanks,
Christine Bishop
Canadian Wildlife Service
CAB.Bishop@ec.gc.ca
