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Hide etiquette (1 Viewer)

TomSmith

TomSmith

Well-known member
I missed a water rail at Fowlmere today because I was talking to the RSPB warden in the hide (it would have been a lifer...). Sage advice from the warden: "Ordinary people think birders in hides are really rude because they never look at your face when they're talking to you" - because, of course, they're doing something much more useful: looking at the birds!
 
I'm not sure about the tips for new birders hide etiquette is more relevant to existing and hardened birders. There appears to be a growing trend for hides to be used as a social club. No wonder everyone needs scopes nowadays. No self respecting bird or animal is going to go within 50 yards of most hides because of the incessant noise. As for the heads down and charge procession from one hide to another it never fails to astound me.
 
ikw101 said:
I'm not sure about the tips for new birders hide etiquette is more relevant to existing and hardened birders. There appears to be a growing trend for hides to be used as a social club. No wonder everyone needs scopes nowadays. No self respecting bird or animal is going to go within 50 yards of most hides because of the incessant noise. As for the heads down and charge procession from one hide to another it never fails to astound me.
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i agree with you on this point i was in a hide at minsmere to see the lesser yellowlegs it was only visible from one end of the hide which was predictably full fair enough if there looking at the bird but most of them spent the next twenty minutes discussing birds they had seen in another location several weeks earlier while the rest of us sat around and waited politely for them to move nevermind luckily the bird waited around for us so all was not lost
cheers
 
I was at a reserve a few weeks back (wont name names just in case the individuals are online) and when i arrived there Birds such as Pintail, Water rail, Bearded tits, other Wildfowl, etc and even Red deer (oh well maybe i've given it away now).

It was just me in the hide, and all the Birds were close in and numerous, giving great views! And then a big gang of Birdwatchers, 5ish all came in, with all their belongings (Scopes, Bins, FOOD, Bags, etc) and they all came in as noisily as they could. Plus they spoke as if they had to shout, the Water rail in front of me flew away, so too did the Bearded tits, and most other Birds scampered. After c15 minutes of waiting for any more Birds to come back, i left as they had still not quietened down.

Sometimes i think people think Hides are sound proof and anything outside can't here you (they may well be) but Birds aren't stupid and when they here noise they aren't gonna wait all day for you are they?

Also maybe if people were more quiet and payed more attention to the areas outside the hide, rather than just using it as a social gathering then they might actually pick something up. Just a thought.

Cheers.
 
what used to annoy me in my local hide at stithians was the father and son that used to appear now and again. father would loaf around full length on the bench that ran down one side of the hide unable to see out as he probably wasnt a birder and his son would take up 75% of the front of the hide by selfishly setting up his tripod and digiscoping kit in the most awkward of angles for other users. luckily i havent seen them for a long time because its difficult to bite my tongue with that sort of ignorance and arrogance.
 
I was at Rye harbour in one of the hides and I thought it had been drugs raided; the door felt like it had been kicked in. I was expecting the entire All Black front row but no, it was some sheepish looking bloke who just realised he'd scared the hundreds of birds from the Castle Water about about a square mile. After sitting down and realising everything had scoobyed he went, gently shutting the door behind him. I did chuckle and shake my head but what can you do....
 
after work one evening in september (lovely sunny day by the way) i went into my local hide and the logbook was wide open. lazy so and so's i thought to myself, cant even be bothered to close the book. anyway, as i got nearer to the book, i saw something next to it. as i got nearer i realised someone had left a dead juvenile moorhen in the hide with a message in the logbook that said "simon, found this on the road at 12.25, it was still warm".. at the time i was fuming because it was now 5pm on a warm day and had i not gone in there it would have been stinking the day after. 3 months later i can just about see the funny side of it but some peoples ettiquete in hides is unreal. another time i went in there and a bloke was trying to repair the wooden peg that holds the flap in place. they are only screwed in and this bloke was trying to put the screw back in with a great big wood mallet..
 
PaulE said:
... if there looking at the bird but most of them spent the next twenty minutes discussing birds they had seen in another location several weeks earlier while the rest of us sat around and waited politely for them to move nevermind luckily the bird waited around for us so all was not lost
cheers
Click to expand...


A good curry the night before and break wind next to them ... always works for me Lol :-O:-O:-O
 
I was in a hide last month where a couple were letting their boy take flash photography of a feeding station from a hide. I suppose I should have said something to them, but it's difficult, you don't want to be discouraging, especially as I'd previously been letting them watch a Bittern through my scope.
But yeah, flash photography, big no-no in terms of hide etiqutte.

Beyond, that, there are those times when you're in a hide alone and you're joined by another birder. I find myself hoping they're cool enough to actually say hello, because that charade where you both pretend the other isn't there, is just bad birding in my opinion, what's more, it's bad manners too!
 
I've started point out anything interesting I see to the person/people next to me, and if I hear someone struggling for an id I'll try and work out where they're looking and point my scope/bins there and hopefully tell them. I'm hoping this rubs off on a few people!

I'd say the opposite of the people who shout their way through hides is people who are the opposite, and look at you as if you're the most evil person in the universe for having the slightest, half-whispered conversation.

My least favourite is birder dads who spend time nice and quiet up one end of a hide, and let their unruly kids play down the other as if it's a creche.

A screaming baby was also a first for me in a hide at the weekend.
 
I am always bewildered by those who stick their hands out through hide viewing slots to point at what they are looking at. Might just as well wave a big flag and be done.
 
Personally, I can cope with kids, over enthusiastic birders, snack eaters, large groups etc., etc. - no the ones that tend to irritate are those wretched photographers who set up in prime position, spread their gear everywhere, hog the place for hours and totally oblivious to the fact that the hide is crowded. Clearly they think it's their private retreat.

Actually, I'm probably one of those people folks complain about as I regularly take largish groups (including children) round hides and I know that, despite my warnings, the sheer size of the group might well spook the closer birds. However, I always try to ask if it's OK for us to come in, apologise for any disturbance and thank people when I go. The remarkable thing is how reasonable & understanding most birders are to this intrusion,

John
 
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