Mad Mama - Starling Questions Photographer's Presence

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This starling was none too happy about the three-legged being she found standing 12 feet from her nest. I was about 20 feet farther away, sitting next to my patio. Short of a blind, what to do? Has anyone tried setting up a dummy tripod/camera so animals are used to the presence?



-- Alan Davenport (w7apd@home.com), June 27, 2001

Answers

Actually, it probably wasn't the 3-legged being she objected to. It was probably the enemy with the huge eye (lens) that set her off. Nesting birds can get used to a a lot of distractions, but that enemy with the big eye really frightens them. (A lens cap on is o.k -- but it makes it hard to get a picture.) Try a lens shade or shading the glass in some way, so it sort of blends in. You might have to check from the bird's position to check the reflection. By the way, nice picture.

-- M. Huber (rurpho@tele-net.net), June 28, 2001.

The lens hood was on; the Tokina has a *huge* hood. I was thinking about setting up a dummy camera with some kind of glass or plastic lens substitute. I suppose if it was there before the birds laid eggs they might just decide to leave. Maybe I'll have to break down and build a blind in my backyard...

-- Alan Davenport (w7apd@home.com), July 02, 2001.

A blind is always helpful. As I remember the only time I had a camra ahat close to a nest was photographing tiny downy woodpeckers. They let me sit that close; they let me put the camera that close. But when the bare lens (with lens hood) appeared, I thought there was a predator around. While looking for the cat or hawk from their view, I plainly saw what frightned them. It startled me,too as I usually don't look at my camera from that angle. I believe I either changed the camera angle/position, tried a different time of day, or waited until the camera position was in the shade. Good luck.

-- M. Huber (rurpho@tele-net.net), July 03, 2001.

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