Hi Alistair
You make a very good point about some photographers. We (three others and I) have seen one photographer use calls on Regent Honeyeaters at Castlereagh NR last year when they were present for a month or so. The person did this blatantly with total disregard to others’ objections – actually this person didn’t even bother to ask if others objected. Just arrogantly walked under the tree in front of six other observers and started playing the looped calls, stood back with camera and waited. Luckily the birds did not give a hoot. But it is a perfect example we witnessed which makes me and my closest photographer and birder friends not disclose any sensitive information to anybody at all.
Cheers Akos
QUOTE I think the chilling effect that the much feared egg collectors (sound a bit like the bogey man to me) have on legitimte birders looking for information to plan trips around probably does more harm than any actual collections! My guess would be that photographers are far more likely to disturb breeding than poachers. I’ve never seen or even heard of a poacher, but I’ve seen many photographers flush birds, approach nests closely and use playback around nesting sites. Many of those photographers are “in the club” and people who would probably have sensitive information shared with them without hesitation. As most of you know, I am also a fairly keen bird photographer, so I’m not slinging mud.
For reasonably well known sites like the one mentioned here, I’d assume any serious hunters already know about it and, to be honest, the very cliquey approach to only sharing information about rare sightings with “those in the know” is one of the less attractive aspects of birding. END QUOTE
