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etiquette when using bird hides (1 Viewer)

firebrace

registered bird scarer
as a new birder i`m wondering about do`s and don`ts when using an already occupied hide, my main question being is it ok to use a camera (just thinking about the shutter noise either frightening the birds or annoying fellow occupants)

any info welcome to avoid future problems, thanks.
 
the hides i go to all i can hear is AF confirms beeping and shutters firing ... the days of the rustle of a sandwich wrapper and a murmer of "blackwits just flew in over in the corner" are long gone ...
 
I find sticking my arms out the flaps and pointing to the birds goes down well too, you never know, someone in the hide may have missed what you're pointing at, i've been thanked on more that one occasion ;o)
 
I do think cameras should come out of the box de-bleeped and if folk want bleeps they will have to read the manual and find how to turn them on!
 
I find sticking my arms out the flaps and pointing to the birds goes down well too, you never know, someone in the hide may have missed what you're pointing at, i've been thanked on more that one occasion ;o)

Maybe you are not calling the bird species out loud enough at the same time as sticking your arms out the flaps and pointing!
Just a thought!;)
 
There are a few types of hide user and it is important to know them all:

The Newbie
Will ask in a desperate ferver exactly where the Common Redshank is as it's new to them. Quite harmless and can give you that warm, fuzzy feeling when you've helped direct them to half-a-dozen lifers in ten minutes (note - that's the stage I'm still at in Australia)

The Other Half
Often in company with the Newbie - they're usually just starting to realise that being dragged around various reserves to sit in hides isn't all that exciting and usually spend most of their time "uh-huh"ing when their birding OH sees something and reading all the pamphlets for something to do. Rapidly realises there are better things to do on a cold Sunday morning, thus can be quite rare.

The Knowledge
Someone who was able to identify a Fan-tailed Warbler's call while they were still in the womb. They'll bring a scope and bins, but rarely need them as they can identify the pin-***** 2.5 km across the reserve by the oscillation rate of the wings alone. Usually very helpful, if a little puzzled that you couldn't ID the Lesser Whitethroat flying 1,500 m above by call alone.

The Resident
Someone who has been birding at a site since time immemorial. Remembers when all these fields were all fields. Often will sit in a hide because that's what they've always done and in the hope of running into a few other old birding friends. Also very useful and respect should accorded as they probably possess the power to blackball you from the reserve.

The Blowhard
Every hide has one - the one who was the first (and only) person to see the Bald Eagle swoop the Long-billed Murrelet from the waters of Yawnchester Lakes RSPB reserve. Usually talks far more than watches. Claims to be the first person to see any species of bird at that reserve. Latches on to newbies, some of whom may be taken in.

The Photographer
By this, I don't mean just anyone who enjoys taking pictures of birds, but the people who have never seen a bird outside of a viewfinder. Usually have a Japanoflex 2800 mm lens with f/0.00001 heat-seeking capability that requires the viewing ports of the hide to be specially widened to get the lens through. Despite the vast expense of their equipment, the majority will only ever post their photos to their blog where they will be cropped to a size where a Kodak Crappicam's picture will look about the same.

The Hardcore
Usually men, making up for some hunter-gatherer instinct by 'collecting' as many birds as possible. While nearly all birders enjoy seeing new species and many like to keep a list (me too), these guys would climb over their own grandmothers to get a glimpse of a rarity to push their UK list up to that magic 400 and beyond. Will happily split male and female Blackcap on account of the head colour difference. They will often only talk in code to each other: "Aye, Jim, two BJHBs at the back and a Spokker in the honeysuckle out front."

Nice cup of tea and a sit down
Most common at RSPB reserves, generally populating the cafe/coffee machine and cooing over the RSPB soft toys of birds. The target audience of many of the more twee items in the shop, although we shouldn't complain as they help fund the places. While noisy, they are usually harmless in the shop. However, they may decamp en masse to a nearby hide, where they talk exceptionally loudly (on account of many of them being half-deaf) and will reach the heights of ecstasy on seeing a Robin or Blue Tit. Much amusement can be had by watching their faces when a Sparrowhawk snatches one of their little birds off the feeder and proceeds to rip it bits in front of their horrified eyes.

Of course, there are many other types, but it just illustrates a few of the commoner varieties of hide inhabitant.
Cheers,

Tony
 
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Tell you what gets my goat. When a party of birders who all come together (invariably old people on a bus trip) have finished in a hide and are ready to move on to the next hide they then care not one jot about the people they will leave in the hide and begin shouting and balling at each other about next years holiday or uncle john's operation. They then leave the hide in as roudy and irritating way possible and usually slam the door behind them. Then cos they want to see birds in the next hide they enter quietly and the cycle continues. You all know who you are. You should be banned from reserves.
 
The ACBlack's catalogue mentions a forthcoming book by Kate Humble that includes a section on hide etiquette. Can't wait.

Steve
 
Tell you what gets my goat. When a party of birders who all come together (invariably old people on a bus trip) have finished in a hide and are ready to move on to the next hide they then care not one jot about the people they will leave in the hide and begin shouting and balling at each other about next years holiday or uncle john's operation. They then leave the hide in as roudy and irritating way possible and usually slam the door behind them. Then cos they want to see birds in the next hide they enter quietly and the cycle continues. You all know who you are. You should be banned from reserves.

Even though I only go to places with hides very, very rarely I've experienced this a few times... not good.
 
I've met a few of each type over the last few years, but I doubt half of them would recognise the description...
Further to what Mannix added, it's not always old people - I've seen plenty of middle-aged people who feel the need to shoult loudly in hides and a few young ones, too. The worst I've come across were a pair of photographers in Switzerland who kept shouting across the three feet between them whenever a bird took off. They had the world's loudest camera shutters (even the lead shutter on the X-ray machine at work is quieter) and when they weren't taking pictures, they were simulating the sound of their cameras.
Generally, though life's not too bad...
 
with the exception of a visit to a hide at a local nature park,all my trips so far have been early saturday & sunday mornings, just finding out where i can go and what i can expect to see. saturday morning around 7 o`clock found me crouching half on a footpath and half in the bushes watching a tree creeper. a couple walking their dog appeared around the corner, eyeing me with a certain ammount of suspicion.feeling the need to explain my situation, i blurted out " morning, just looking for me woodpecker". judging by the looks on their faces, they took this to be a euphemism for something else that may or may not take place in the same area and hurried past without commenting!! maybe the next time something like this happens i should just keep my head down and ignore `em:-O
 
with the exception of a visit to a hide at a local nature park,all my trips so far have been early saturday & sunday mornings, just finding out where i can go and what i can expect to see. saturday morning around 7 o`clock found me crouching half on a footpath and half in the bushes watching a tree creeper. a couple walking their dog appeared around the corner, eyeing me with a certain ammount of suspicion.feeling the need to explain my situation, i blurted out " morning, just looking for me woodpecker". judging by the looks on their faces, they took this to be a euphemism for something else that may or may not take place in the same area and hurried past without commenting!! maybe the next time something like this happens i should just keep my head down and ignore `em:-O

Thanks for giving me a laugh. :-O

Neil.
 
The Resident

"The Resident
Someone who has been birding at a site since time immemorial. Remembers when all these fields were all fields. Often will sit in a hide because that's what they've always done and in the hope of running into a few other old birding friends. Also very useful and respect should accorded as they probably possess the power to blackball you from the reserve
."

Of course "The Resident" is usually plural and plan to sit in the hide (Noah's, Somerset Levels) all day; "why should anyone else have a chance to sit down and look at MY birds?" after all "I am here, first, every day!"

Just once, I would like a "Resident" to say, "Getting a bit crowded in here mate, let me move up/move out and let you have a seat. I've been looking at/photographing the ***** for three days now and frankly I've seen it all.
 
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