Olive-backed Pipit....

Gestart door Simon Brumby, oktober 16, 2012, 23:02:22 PM

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Simon Brumby

Dear Bird Watchers, Plant Lovers, Insect Enthusiasts and in general all people who love Nature.

   My name is Simon Brumby, and I am one of the above people. I really and genuinely care about the place we live and find it infinitely interesting.
   Four years ago I moved to Holland to be with my girlfriend, and now I fill my time in-between work with walking in the dunes and forests of Noord Holland. Birdwatching has a special appeal to me, and I am lucky enough to be in an area where there are many good active "Vogelaars".
North Holland presents many outstanding opportunities for a birdwatcher, migration time can be quite spectacular and can-and often does throw up some fantastic birds. These Birds attract many many people, sometimes hundreds over the course of a day, sometimes way more than that... And hear is were it gets difficult...
   I appreciate peoples "need" to get the picture or "film" (as was the case this evening) of the rare species, we all would like too I think its safe to say. However!
At what point does a "Birdwatcher" become a "Bird Chaser", because I can tell you that is what happened this evening!
At what point do people decide there need for the photo is greater than the birds need to rest/forage or maybe just shelter from all the people that are stood a handful of meters away?
At what point do people decide that walking in a 1 meter grid pattern through the undergrowth where the bird had been seen take cover 10 min's earlier, to flush it out! is good and reasonable behaviour?
    The sad fact is, the more of these "twitch" worthy birds I go to the more I see people (mostly photographers or people with film equipment) disregard what I, and I think the large majority of the users of Waarneming,nl and dutchbirding.nl, would consider to be rational behaviour, with the justification that its a "rare" species... It needs to stop.

   In short, I feel saddened, disappointed and quite angry at the behaviour of a number of people at the Olive-backed Pipit this evening(16/10/12 16:00hrs+). I find it difficult to understand how anyone can justify walking off path intentionally to flush a bird like that, ESPECIALLY when the bird all-day has been easy to see. And especially when you are a person of note, people do know who you are and do/did look up to you in some way or another.

    Fellow naturalists it falls upon the community to self moderate in times like this, as it is quite clear that people are not accountable for there own actions when in the presence of some kind of filming/photography device.

Is it not detrimental to other "birders" if the bird is moved on? Is it not detrimental to other Photographers/Film makers if, photographer and "bird chaser" are synonymous?
These are Wild animals! Not fat tame birds you find in the Zoo, and they do fly off and they are sometimes difficult to see and even harder to photograph! Chasing them helps NO ONE LONG TERM!

Yours sincerely

  Simon Brumby



                                                 brumby.simon@gmail.com

   

KorHaan

#1
Hello Simon,


Welcome to the forum!

Good point you're making here. I wouldn't call myself a twitcher, not anymore, for the simple reason that I don't visit hotspot gatherings anymore, as to not be confronted with the very behaviour you describe. Like you, I'm disappointed when things get out of hand, so I steer clear of places where twitchers go.

Fortunately, you're not the only one questioning ill-behaved photographers here on the forum. There's an on-going thread "Hoe voorkomen we verstoring" ( How to avoid disturbance) in the bird section, where the same points you make are being discussed. Also, and as a consequence, efforts are being made to establish a set of moral rules, in order to submit people present at a twitch to behave in a responsible way. Social control of the ill-behaved will have to be an important part of the moral standard.

I do hope, your points will invite people to respond here, especially people who were attending the Olive-backed Pipit twitch you mention. That would only be fair to you, being a witness of some strange goings-on at the very same twitch.


Best regards,


Ronald Sinoo


Bart van Hoogstraten

#2
Citaat van: Simon Brumby op oktober 16, 2012, 23:02:22 PM
The sad fact is, the more of these "twitch" worthy birds I go to the more I see people

Dear Simon,

What's the point of complaining about traffic jams... sitting in your car in a traffic jam?  :rolleyes:
Vriendelijke groet! Bart van Hoogstraten

De toekomst van Waarneming is onzeker. Draag bij aan het voortbestaan en betaal gewoon jaarlijks € 25,- abonnementskosten!
https://waarneming.nl/donate/

joostheeremans

Bart, when somebody complains from behind his computer he is wrong 'because he was not there', but when somebody complains who was actually at the place he is being accused of complicity. Bottomline, critical remarks afterwards on some people's behaviour during a twitch is not appreciated. Off course, it might be better to address these matters directly while still at the place, but that does not make remarks in hindsight less true. Besides that, it is highly questionable whether remarks on the place of the twitch will make a big difference.
MvG Joost Heeremans



- Do geese see god ?-

KorHaan

The 'sweep' to flush the alleged Pechora Pipit is certainly not something I'd like to witness when I happen to be birding on my own in the vicinity, oblivious of what's going on on the twitchers front...

Just assume you're being confronted with such action, who would like to call back the masses of tick-horny listers? Not me!

Simon, if you're still here, please do respond! It's your thread in the first place.


Best regards,


Ronald Sinoo

arjan.kop

Citaat van: Bart van Hoogstraten op oktober 22, 2012, 13:25:02 PM
Citaat van: Simon Brumby op oktober 16, 2012, 23:02:22 PM
The sad fact is, the more of these "twitch" worthy birds I go to the more I see people

Dear Simon,

What's the point of complaining about traffic jams... sitting in your car in a traffic jam?  :rolleyes:

He doesn't. He complains about the other motorists leaving their cars to litter...