As is always the case with email, intent is subject to misinterpretation and message writers never achieve perfect clarity. I'm a birder first. But you'll rarely see me in the field without a camera slung around my neck. I consider myself a birding (as opposed to bird) photographer as defined in a recent and very interesting article by Derek Lovitch in the ABA's December 2013 Birder's Guide. I did not intend that only photographers familiarize themselves with codes of conduct. It's useful for all of us to refresh our familiarity from time to time with the ethics of interacting with wildlife and with other wildlife watchers. As a birder and birding photographer, I found the nature photographer's code of conduct helpful and a nice companion to the ABA's birding ethics. I thought others might enjoy seeing it, too. As more people come to enjoy wildlife watching and photographing, and as more and more of us want to see diminishing wildlife, I think the ethics and conduct codes simply assist all of us in getting along with each other while giving wild creatures the space they need. I noted in my original post the usefulness of education. That goes for all of us, not just one subgroup.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, Wa