Subject: [Tweeters] Snowy Owls at Damon Pt.
Date: Dec 5 20:36:11 2011
From: Doug Plummer - 2doug at dougplummer.com


Like every other photographer within 300 miles, I made the trek today to Damon Point for the parliament of owls. Man, there was a lot of big glass there. I scoped 7 owls in one sweep, and saw lenses pointed at perhaps 2 more that I couldn't see.

I stumbled upon my first owl while walking on the beach, and there it was on the driftwood debris line. I backed off, got a vantage point, sat, ate lunch, and let it get used to me. After about 45 minutes another owl came and joined it, and they did a sweet high pitched hoot thing at each other for a bit. The other owl, however, was not acclimatized to my presence, and when I moved it flew off.

For the most part I saw the big lens guys keeping their distance--200 feet or more. There were three working one owl, provocatively perched against sunlit grass, who seemed unperturbed. I also saw others (solo photographers) try and creep closer, until the birds flew. I think that's how my visiting owl became airborne, so it was skittish already. I plead guilty of this with another owl, thinking I was far enough away, but finding out I wasn't when it flew. I felt awful, and it made me realize that I need to be less attached to the image and more attached to my connection with the moment. I think the impact is undoubtedly cumulative, that different owls have different sensitivities but that you can't tell, and that as photographers we need to be particularly aware of our impact. Particularly with such a seductive opportunity as this one in such a public place.

Photos of the day here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151024830920113.781754.693780112&type=1&l=d1c90b37ea

Doug Plummer
Seattle




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