Subject: [Tweeters] Regarding "big lenses"
Date: Apr 23 21:31:51 2011
From: viper.bob at frontier.com - viper.bob at frontier.com


As a photographer who is fortunate to have a couple of big lens I would like to add my $0.03. I actually prefer to go out where there are no other people or at least go to the hot spots when I think there will be no one else around (week days, very early mornings, etc.). I prefer to find the right spot and then wait for the birds to come to me. I get much more natural and close-up images that way. Yes I do wear camo and no I have never been to the Harris sparrow location (I'm waiting for it to molt into full breeding plumage). I have run into many ,many birders over the years and do not recall having a bad exchange with any of them. In fact we often help each other with on the spot information and findings. In that regard, tweeters has been a huge help to me.
The vast majority of fellow photographers I have encountered have been knowledgeable, friendly, sharing and hold the bird's wellfare in mind. The worst exception in my experience was at the hawk owl location near Ladner, BC. I have never seen so many big (and small) lens people that appeared to have no regard for the welfare of the bird, or the respect of private property, or the decency to stay clear of the road for traffic. I was totally disgusted at the behavior there. If I was that property own I would have had the police out there every day keeping the area clear.
So much for that topic!
Now let's talk about dog owners that refuse to follow the rules. I was at Alkai this morning where there is a sign stating "no dogs on the beach, leashed or unleashed". Of course there was a young man there with his yellow lab on the beach with the leash laying on a log. He was throwing a stick far out into the water and sending the dog after it. There were several B. goldeneyes, harlequins and a few hundred brant that were forced to stay way clear of that area as a result. I confronted him and he let out the attitude that he did not need to follow any rules and that I should "mind your own business old man" (the old man part hurt!). I kept after him but finally left when I could see I was getting nowhere. As I walked away I turned around to see him leaving. I confronted two other dog owners committing the same offense but they complied without a nasty exchange. I seem to run into this behavior everywhere I go (Marymoor, UBNA, Magnusan, etc - even my own yard!) and don't hesitate to confront them.
OK, I'm off of my soapbox.
Bob Kothenbeutel