Stay on the footpath!!! > Camera flash

[Julian Robinson <>]

As a prime offender in using camera flash on birds, I'd like to solicit
any factual info that anyone has on this. My honest observation is that
flash does not seem to worry birds.  I have been surprised that big
birds, medium birds and small birds all seem to be surprisingly unalarmed
by flash.  The stationary types like the owl and frogmouths will
(sometimes) direct their attention to the camera/flash, but not seem to
be put out or "disturbed".  

Another example was my recent attempts to photograph a frustratingly shy
whipbird at the coast - it and its attendant wb scrubwren and yellow
robin were subjected to many flash shots in the dark undergrowth and
continued to fossick, apparently untroubled (except by my occasional
movement or twig-snap) for nearly half an hour.

A few times flighty birds caught ad hoc as I wandered through
bush/gardens have flown off at first shot, but I thought this was due to
the inordinately loud sound of my camera shutter rather than the
flash.  This behaviour seems the same whether the flash is used or
not.

I know it seems that flash must annoy birds as it annoys us, but
does anyone (Geoffrey?) have any objective info on this?

Julian

At 11:57 AM 15/05/2007, Robin Hide wrote:
> And, perhaps, no (or limit?)
> flashlights from cameras?
> Robin Hide

Cheers

Julian
Canberra
Australia
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