Let's not all get worked up. Disturbing a bird is very different from
shooting a person.
What these guys are doing is terrible but shame and guilt are generally
enough to stop people from doing this. So, just pointing out this to them
and telling that you are calling WDWF would probably deter them. As a
photographer, I can tell you that most photographers are under tremendous
peer-pressure to get a good photo and get carried away when they have
opportunity to shoot a unique bird like this. Once one person does it,
every other photographer there feels bold enough to do it too.
As a photographer, I also want to clarify that most of us don't do what
these guys in the video are doing. But, we do need to get much closer than
what most birders do or think we need to. A 500mm lens that is about 2ft in
length, 10in wide and costs about $10K is only as powerful as a 10x
binocular. So although the lens looks as big as a spotting scope, it is
only as powerful as a binocular. And most people only have a cheaper 300mm
or 400mm lens (i.e. a 6-8x magnification) and need to be as close as 50-60
ft to get any decent photo. So I would cut them some slack and probably
won't mind if they kept a respectable distance and not disturb the bird.
-Amit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avkulkarni/
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