Hi again Zvi. Bill Hohenstein kindly pointed out that in the EXIF data for
the photo it shows that your flash was not fired. That's great - I viewed the
photo on my phone and could not access the EXIF. I did see that the photo was
taken after 6pm on Saturday and at my house then sun was down then).
Please forward my concerns on to any other photographers you run across that
might be using their flashes improperly!
Thanks Bill for pointing that out.
Best,
Steve Hersey
Alexandria, VA
Begin forwarded message:
From: Bill Hohenstein <elliety@xxxxxxx>
Date: March 14, 2014 at 8:11:19 AM EDT
To: Stephen Hersey <sherseydc@xxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Va-bird] Screech Owl at Dyke Marsh
Steve:
Take a look at the Full EXIF Info from Zvi's photos. Zvi did not use a flash
on either of the screech owl pictures posted. The focal length was 19.9
meters -- indicating the photo was taken from 65 feet away.
Late in the day, the hole is in bright sunlight. I've seen the owl in the
same position soaking up the late day sun.
Bill
From: sherseydc@xxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:36:46 -0400
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; zprovisor@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Va-bird] Screech Owl at Dyke Marsh
Zvi and VA-Birders, I'm not trying to stir up the "photographer vs. birder"
debate. I think there's room for both, but Zvi's post just brought it to
the forefront again.
I read Zvi's post which wondered about the potential disappearance of the
Screech Owl at Dyke Marsh. I viewed Zvi's photo of the bird and I have to
say that I was saddened by it. Human disturbance is already a major issue
in harming birds and other wildlife, and I would like to address this by
using this photo as an example of how bird-loving photographers are hurting
their subjects. I'm not attempting to publicly shame you Zvi, just hoping
to share some thoughts as you and many others enjoy the wonderful art of
photography.
The Screech Owl is obviously a nocturnal bird with some of the best
night-vision eyes out there. Unfortunately, this photo does not reflect any
concern for the well-being of the owl. There is not an inch of the bird and
the surrounding tree that is not excessively lit up. Unfortunately, many of
the shots I have seen of this and other owls exhibit the same issue of
flash overkill.
I have dabbled in nature photography and have been honored to have
photographs published in magazines, textbooks and on informational signs
that appear at dozens of nature preserves, etc, around the country, so I
truly understand the need and value in obtaining great shots of wildlife.
However, my wish as someone that cares about the welfare of birds is that
photographers would understand the difference between using the flash with
a dead-on light-up-the-night blast versus the much gentler method of
cranking up your ISO, playing with the aperture and using the flash to
gently fill in some ambient light.
Think about what temporarily happens to your vision if, at night, someone
were to shine a flashlight in your eyes. Permanent damage will not result,
but it sure takes a while to be able to see properly again. That's what
happens to owls as well. Consider the bother these birds go through when
multiple overkill flashes from one or more cameras are assaulting them
frequently at night.
Here is an excerpt from Dr. Dennis Olivero, a veterinary opthamologist, and
Dr. Donald Cohen, an opthamologist:
"...use of flash may cause a temporary reduction in vision for 5-20
minutes. It takes one hour of dark conditioning to achieve maximum
electrical responses from rod cells in the retina. The regeneration of rod
function even after “bleaching” by a bright light is not linear with time.
Animals and birds probably have 50% return of function in the first five
minutes, and 75% in another five minutes. The rods are rapidly moving from
zero function to full sensitivity during that time, with the greatest
return of function per time unit occurring in the first 10-15 minutes." See
more at:
http://www.naturescapes.net/articles/health/flash-photography-and-the-visual-system-of-birds-and-animals/#sthash.EwtUb7W3.dpuf
To sum, bright flash photography is certainly not going to kill or even
blind an owl, but it does greatly affect its nightly routine of emerging
from its cavity, surveying its surroundings, allowing its eyes to adjust
for the light levels, and finally commencing its hunt.
Perhaps if flash-using photographers could adapt and be more gentle in
their approach, then the owl would also adapt, tolerate a bit of gentle
papparazi-fever, and remain content and healthy in its trailside tree. We
all appreciate great photos of the birds we love, lets just try to obtain
them in a less harmful way.
Just some thoughts,
Steve Hersey, Alexandria, VA
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