Thanks Alex. On Dec 5, 2017 12:33 PM, "Alex Eberts" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Just curious if maybe we can stop the photographer bashing? There’s zero > reason to imply that birders with cameras are any less birders than anyone > else. This isn’t the forum for it; it’s just unnecessary drama. Just my two > cents. > > Alex > > > On Dec 5, 2017, at 9:56 AM, Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > It seems this season is a poor one for raptors in the north, and those > > of us who live in warmer climes are seeing more of them now. "Birders" > > with cameras find them irresistible as photo subjects. > > But there must be a zillion photos out there of owls staring at the > > photographer, usually in the wide-open settings where they most often > > look for lunch. All these photos look pretty much alike alike; once in a > > while a photo might be taken of an owl with bloodied talons or even dead > > prey, but they tend to retreat to eat. Photos of such subjects are > > sought after, even if they are pretty much of identical birds in > > identical settings. > > I can imagine that owls, if they could and cared to observe humans, > > would notice field characteristics--colorful 'plumages,' typical > > postures and approaches, but potentials that might be dangerous. > > Unlikelier than a tasty warm or vole, humans clumsily tend to hold to > > their faces glassy instruments. Humans have an anxious tendency to edge > > closer and closer to owls, all too often until they become unwelcome. > > By searching the internet it is easy for us humans to find > innumerable > > snowy owl photos. But that seems not enough. We want to see our 'own' > > owls, in our 'own' place, even though it is almost always > > indistinguishable. Each birder must share his or her 'own' identical > > image, tedious as it must be, of a snowy perched on a beach, looking > > suspiciously toward the camera. > > This is a lot more boring than stamp-collecting, but we seem > > drawn to share out OWN versions of the standard photo. This is just a > > bit strange, and always tedious for folks who view the results; it is > > something the owls too put up with, even if carefully undertaken. > > --Bill Whan > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > > Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/ > membership.php. > > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > > > > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > > listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/ > membership.php. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]