I have written about it before: Amherst Island Birding Ethics. A perfect habitat for them in our wicked winters. There is food, shelter, and few predators, until now. The landowners have permitted people to visit and photograph owls on their property. The road leading to the woods is rough. I'm sure it is deliberately so.
There is a wide amateur photographer community, who sometimes use professionals to lead tours to the island. It is ubiquitous, and increasing. I understand the need for professionals to earn a living leading tours, and they can teach ethics, one hopes. You cannot teach respect, however. It's not limited to Ontario:
It happens just the same over here Jen. We don't have Snowy Owls but most owls are now targetes for birders and toggers. "Toggers" are people who have no real interest in birds just photography. It's all become a huge problem.
By the way, there is a difference between short-term baiting birds with live food, and putting out backyard bird feeders [Thinking of feeding or baiting owls for your photo? Here's why you shouldn't do it: https://t.co/asusIC7m66 pic.twitter.com/Wq4CpYe04S— Audubon Society (@audubonsociety) January 5, 2019
We have many owls in care in rehabilitation centres in the province. Birds hit by cars are quite common. Not that taming them is an issue here, but road speed and distracted driving means there are quite a few animals hit on our highways. Hubby found this one on the road. I took the opportunity to photograph this fine creature, then set it in the forest to let nature take its course.
Baiting owls has been an issue for a few years, now. With Social Media, people share photos and locations. This should stop. It won't, however. Ethical birders have been mum about owl locations lately. I only share a location with trusted photographers.
These are the behaviours people have witnessed on Amherst Island:
- people climbing into fenced, out of bounds areas
- people climbing fences to shake them and make snowy owls to fly
- trespassing at night, with lights, to get photos
- another man picked up a saw-whet owl, a wild owl, and put it in his coat
- landowners are kicking people off of private property as they are trespassing
- a man with a cooler full of mice, to lure the owls.
And now: drones...
