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Friday, 17 February 2012
Also at Rhiwderyn today.
Also skulking was this beautie!
Good luck to all that go tomorrow,you will need it!!
And all you photographers will need more than fieldcraft!
Been told that birders were behaving like idiots again chasing the bird from tree to tree instead of keeping their distance and LGRE being one of the main culprits.
Badger, you must be reading the anti photographer-twitcher-enjoyment- league's postings mate.I was there yesterday (unlike you it would seem)and to put the facts straight - the vast majority of birders behaved well,the behavior of the minority that was not less than perfect was simply down excitement as opposed to behaving like idiots. As I was stood near LGRE for quite some time, I think I can say with some authority that he was in fact rather well mannered. I would suggest that if you are going to knock people,then don't read the tripe written by plonkers with far too much time on their hands.There are far too many real 'idiots' closer to home mate.
The bird was very difficult to get onto for quite some time and was very skulky,in fact very much like the ones I have seen in Florida,you only ever got fleeting views 'cos the critters were always moving and always in the undergrowth,not unlike the Gwent bird?.
Have to agree with you Slap, Lee was quiet. My problem was that when the opportunities came for a half tidy shot it was ruined by birders! Overall most were well behaved. I have written a short account on my blog. Paul the bird was very flighty, and when flew it was only short distances. There are always a couple of arseholes at twitches!
Cliff was telling me and Slap (just this afternoon)that he had identified the worst photographic offender at the site on Friday and is under no doubt that the very worst of the bunch was ......
Slaphead i aint knocking anyone just repeating what was written on bird guides mate, and from what was written if it was true then the behaviour of some is totally out of order here is the statement
This is my Post from Bird Forum earlier today, placed here for those wanting to go to the Common Yellowthroat twitch to see it.. Excuse my straight talking, but what a bunch of idiots most of the "twitchers" were that assembled this morning. The bird first appeared around 0825 and everyone was respectful of the distance to stay back, but after it reappeared some 30mins later it was like someone had fired a starting gun and the "looneys" were let loose! Many of those present were moving up to the hedgerow and were less than 5m away. Even those with camera lenses so big they can see an ant having a dump on the moon were only 5-10m back. Surely the reason you bought that lens was to get good pics from a distance!! When you thought things couldn't get any worse they did. Not content with being that close, some of the impatient ones decided to move into the hedgerow itself. Every time the bird appeared the large crowd surged forward and the bird fled. Despite several people asking for the crowd to keep back it didn't make any difference. By now I decided I'd had enough and left as the bird moved down the hill and the crowd chased after it never giving it time to settle. The last I saw was the "idiots" disappearing into another field in hot pursuit. Most there seem to have forgotten that the birds welfare must come first, this poor bird was being hounded from tree to tree. All they were interested in was getting their "tick". Hopefully, for the birds sake we won't get any more rarities here in Gwent. I can also understand now why many birds are suppressed. Absolutely disgusted by it. Oh and Mr Evans was there leading the affray! Thought HE might have had more sense. Like you said slap i wasn't there i had to work (unlike you it would seem) but i'm going down tomorrow and hopefully the bird will stick around if the above statement isn't true.
The above statement is bollocks mate.I was there from 07:00 till 10:30 when I went to work.There is no 'benefits' lifestyle for me,I have a conscience and a job.
Badger, I can see that your sentiment and heart is in the right place but for pities sake, welcome to twitching! If it offends you so much, why be part of it? As a matter of scientific FACT, birds tend to habitualise themselves to disturbance. I'd be more inclined to turn up tomorrow with a pellet gun and see to that pussy, rather than slate human nature!
Slaphead i agree most do disagree, but 1 or 2 agreed with the comments perhaps there should be a minimum distance for twitchers and then all would be happy, but we both know there's no way it would work. Perhaps Lee could be Mr policeman on these rare twitches a lot of effort went into sorting parking etc so why couldn't a boundary be set up (just a thought)anyway i aint gonna keep on about something or nothing like randall said that's twitching
I was there Friday from dawn until 9.35, and okay in that time there was the usual chasing about when the bird first appeared, but nothing untoward, and in my view the bird certainly wasn't under pressure. In fact the whole event was well managed, and our fellow birders in Gwent deserve credit for managing to organise a potentially difficult situation rather well, and likewise visiting birders for patience a generally good behaviour. By all means be critical of bad behaviour, but please base it on actual observations not heresay, otherwise we all risk being unfairly tarnished. And so endeth tonight's lesson..Amen
Road Runner you made a good point,and i will learn to keep my gob shut in future unless like you said based on actual obsevations,i wasn't intending to offend anyone just stating what other's had witnessed anyway lesson learned amen.p.s sorry
On sunday quite unbenown to anyone the bird appeared in the centre of a group of snappers and twitchers and general camp followers at a distance of about 10 yards. That is fairly typical of these skulkers - when the bird was noticed it flew off over the road - a distance of 100+ yards. The mass chasing it were telling photographers to get back believing the bird was in the near hedgerow - until the photographers calmly told them they were looking in the wrong place and that the bird was in another field over the road a poor scope view distance away. Photographers then told them where it was and eventually all saw it though at no time was it photographable. Stories like this don't get told because there is no sensationalism in it - Anyone who feels aggrieved at bird photography should not be allowed books with photographs in them! Most will not understand the f word. No not that ione the other one ending in craft.
What aren't you toggers birders? Lets get it straight Rich , toggers are just as bad or worse. Go check the Dartfords this year and see if the same shit behaviour by toggers is repeated this year
14 comments:
umbrella for starters !
Been told that birders were behaving like idiots again chasing the bird from tree to tree instead of keeping their distance and LGRE being one of the main culprits.
Badger, you must be reading the anti photographer-twitcher-enjoyment- league's postings mate.I was there yesterday (unlike you it would seem)and to put the facts straight - the vast majority of birders behaved well,the behavior of the minority that was not less than perfect was simply down excitement as opposed to behaving like idiots. As I was stood near LGRE for quite some time, I think I can say with some authority that he was in fact rather well mannered. I would suggest that if you are going to knock people,then don't read the tripe written by plonkers with far too much time on their hands.There are far too many real 'idiots' closer to home mate.
The bird was very difficult to get onto for quite some time and was very skulky,in fact very much like the ones I have seen in Florida,you only ever got fleeting views 'cos the critters were always moving and always in the undergrowth,not unlike the Gwent bird?.
Have to agree with you Slap, Lee was quiet. My problem was that when the opportunities came for a half tidy shot it was ruined by birders! Overall most were well behaved. I have written a short account on my blog.
Paul the bird was very flighty, and when flew it was only short distances. There are always a couple of arseholes at twitches!
Cliff was telling me and Slap (just this afternoon)that he had identified the worst photographic offender at the site on Friday and is under no doubt that the very worst of the bunch was ......
Slaphead i aint knocking anyone just repeating what was written on bird guides mate, and from what was written if it was true then the behaviour of some is totally out of order here is the statement
This is my Post from Bird Forum earlier today, placed here for those wanting to go to the Common Yellowthroat twitch to see it.. Excuse my straight talking, but what a bunch of idiots most of the "twitchers" were that assembled this morning. The bird first appeared around 0825 and everyone was respectful of the distance to stay back, but after it reappeared some 30mins later it was like someone had fired a starting gun and the "looneys" were let loose! Many of those present were moving up to the hedgerow and were less than 5m away. Even those with camera lenses so big they can see an ant having a dump on the moon were only 5-10m back. Surely the reason you bought that lens was to get good pics from a distance!! When you thought things couldn't get any worse they did. Not content with being that close, some of the impatient ones decided to move into the hedgerow itself. Every time the bird appeared the large crowd surged forward and the bird fled. Despite several people asking for the crowd to keep back it didn't make any difference. By now I decided I'd had enough and left as the bird moved down the hill and the crowd chased after it never giving it time to settle. The last I saw was the "idiots" disappearing into another field in hot pursuit. Most there seem to have forgotten that the birds welfare must come first, this poor bird was being hounded from tree to tree. All they were interested in was getting their "tick". Hopefully, for the birds sake we won't get any more rarities here in Gwent. I can also understand now why many birds are suppressed. Absolutely disgusted by it. Oh and Mr Evans was there leading the affray! Thought HE might have had more sense.
Like you said slap i wasn't there i had to work (unlike you it would seem) but i'm going down tomorrow and hopefully the bird will stick around if the above statement isn't true.
The above statement is bollocks mate.I was there from 07:00 till 10:30 when I went to work.There is no 'benefits' lifestyle for me,I have a conscience and a job.
by the way,did you read the rest of the nerdforum thread? most disagree with our friend from Gwent.
Badger, I can see that your sentiment and heart is in the right place but for pities sake, welcome to twitching! If it offends you so much, why be part of it? As a matter of scientific FACT, birds tend to habitualise themselves to disturbance. I'd be more inclined to turn up tomorrow with a pellet gun and see to that pussy, rather than slate human nature!
Slaphead i agree most do disagree, but 1 or 2 agreed with the comments perhaps there should be a minimum distance for twitchers and then all would be happy, but we both know there's no way it would work. Perhaps Lee could be Mr policeman on these rare twitches a lot of effort went into sorting parking etc so why couldn't a boundary be set up (just a thought)anyway i aint gonna keep on about something or nothing like randall said that's twitching
I was there Friday from dawn until 9.35, and okay in that time there was the usual chasing about when the bird first appeared, but nothing untoward, and in my view the bird certainly wasn't under pressure. In fact the whole event was well managed, and our fellow birders in Gwent deserve credit for managing to organise a potentially difficult situation rather well, and likewise visiting birders for patience a generally good behaviour. By all means be critical of bad behaviour, but please base it on actual observations not heresay, otherwise we all risk being unfairly tarnished.
And so endeth tonight's lesson..Amen
Road Runner you made a good point,and i will learn to keep my gob shut in future unless like you said based on actual obsevations,i wasn't intending to offend anyone just stating what other's had witnessed anyway lesson learned amen.p.s sorry
On sunday quite unbenown to anyone the bird appeared in the centre of a group of snappers and twitchers and general camp followers at a distance of about 10 yards. That is fairly typical of these skulkers - when the bird was noticed it flew off over the road - a distance of 100+ yards.
The mass chasing it were telling photographers to get back believing the bird was in the near hedgerow - until the photographers calmly told them they were looking in the wrong place and that the bird was in another field over the road a poor scope view distance away. Photographers then told them where it was and eventually all saw it though at no time was it photographable.
Stories like this don't get told because there is no sensationalism in it - Anyone who feels aggrieved at bird photography should not be allowed books with photographs in them!
Most will not understand the f word.
No not that ione the other one ending in craft.
What aren't you toggers birders? Lets get it straight Rich , toggers are just as bad or worse.
Go check the Dartfords this year and see if the same shit behaviour by toggers is repeated this year
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