Photo ABCs

Gaston Santos

Rejoneador (bullfighter on horseback) Gaston Santos performed in Tijuana last Sunday, June 27:

 

Great Tailed Grackle

In flight:
 

A Bad Name

Here is a shot of a quiet and placid killdeer. (As placid as these nervous birds can be!)

The killdeer is in a public park in San Diego county. The bird is sitting on its nest, taking little or no notice of me. I am much farther away than it appears--I was using a very long lens and lying on the ground, and the image is slightly cropped. 

A quite busy trail runs not 20 feet from this well-camouflaged nest, and I was about 40 feet away, and spent about one minute taking a few shots of the bird.

But not minutes before, this bird was standing with its wings outstretched, covering its nest and crying alarm. 

Why?

A man with a camera, with a photo backpack and tripod, was not TWELVE INCHES away from the bird, taking photos for at least 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, his son, perhaps 11 years old, kept repeating "Back off dad, you're too close!"

Certainly not every amateur photographer is familiar with the intricacies of birding ethics. But not disturbing a nest is known to every elementary school student. It was known to his son. 

I don't know if this gentleman spends much time photographing birds. Perhaps he thought that since the nest was in a public park, he had license to get as close as he wanted and snap away. One sees this kind of behavior by tourists approaching wildlife in national parks all of the time.

This sort of behavior gives all bird photographers a bad name. Most birders are exquisitely sensitive to birding ethics. It only takes one photographer exhibiting this kind of behavior to cause bird photographers to lose the trust of birders and wildlife officials.

Please think how your photography affects the birds, and the perception of bird photographers. It's only common sense.

Jesús Malverde

Jesús Malverde is the patron saint of narco-traffickers. He has a Robin Hood image. Here his visage is found on necklace charms in Tecate, Mexico.

Jesús Malverde es como un santo protector de los narcotraficantes en Mexico. Aqui esta su cara en unos collares para turistas, en Tecate, Mexico.

Quinceañera Dress

A doll models a quinceañera dress in a dress shop window, in Tecate, Mexico.

More Mexico photos can be found in my pbase Mexico gallery.

 

American Avocet

McGrath State Beach, Ventura, California.
 

Red-winged Blackbird

In a field of winter wheat, near Tupman, California (west of Bakersfield).

The Early Bird?

No, it wasn't early, but this American Robin got the worm!

Arroyo Verde park, Ventura, California.  
 
 

Black-crowned Night-Herons, Silhouette

Squabbling, and squawking, Black-Crowned Night-Herons at Lindo Lake, Lakeside, California:
 

Black-crowned Night-Heron

 An adult black crowned night heron, Lindo Lake, Lakeside, California. In a California pepper tree.