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Annoying birding conversations in hides (1 Viewer)

apbarr said:
What really annoys me is all these birders in the hide causing vibrations which make it harder to focus my huge lens. I end up having to fire off shots at the full 8fps rate to compensate, should have more consideration for photographers:smoke:
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I agree wholeheartedly. I've given up videoing from hides as people can't seem to walk without impersonating King Kong but the worst - those birders obsessed with a well known maverick listing guru. God, if they hate him so much why do they spend their lives talking about him. Everywhere I've been from Scilly to Scotland, if there's a hide you can bet your bottom Dollar Bird there'll be someone in there obsessed with what 'Lee' says.
 
apbarr said:
What really annoys me is all these birders in the hide causing vibrations which make it harder to focus my huge lens. I end up having to fire off shots at the full 8fps rate to compensate, should have more consideration for photographers:smoke:
Click to expand...

According to e-bay you've sold everything.

Hand the hides back to the people they were built for....birdwatchers and not photographers.
 
AlphaCentauri said:
:) my major pet peeves are:

1. Tourists and other non-birders that come poking you in the back every 5 seconds asking you what you are looking at while you are staring in the scope, and when you say "A bird", they either give you a disappointed look or fire another hundred questions at you.
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why not try "I was looking for Big Foot", they'll think your nuts then and leave you be ;)
 
Hides are often so quiet sometimes. At times like those I feel they could benefit from the addition of a juke box. But I guess then people would complain about the track selection?
It seems whatever you do, you just can't win... ;)
 
AlphaCentauri said:
:) my major pet peeves are:

1. Tourists and other non-birders that come poking you in the back every 5 seconds asking you what you are looking at while you are staring in the scope, and when you say "A bird", they either give you a disappointed look or fire another hundred questions at you.
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Anna,

I get this first one a lot - for instance, just over a week ago, at Niagara-on-the-Lake, I had many people come up to ask me what was going on.

(For some reason - which utterly baffles me - in any row of fifteen people with scopes, I'm always the one whom the 'muggles' approach. Given that I'm usually ill-humoured and scowling on these occasions (because if I had seen the blasted thing, I wouldn't still be there!) I find this very weird.)

I deal with it by launching into a long-winded explanation of exactly what I'm trying to see, why this bird is interesting, and where it comes from. This generally has one of two effects:
  • The person, being not really that interested in the first place, comes quickly to the realization that he or she is speaking with a fanatical bore, and therefore attempts to extricate him- or herself from the situation as quickly as humanly possible - good! :t:
  • The person, being, perhaps, already slightly interested in birds, asks some more questions, learns something new, and maybe also gets an intro into birding as a pastime - also good! :t:

Peter C.
 
People that enter the hide then take it over by moving the benches to one end.People who thud up & down a hide while i`m trying to take a photo.People who slam the hide door,& lastly people with force 10 body odour on a hot summer`s day.

Steve.
 
Peter C. said:
Anna,

I deal with it by launching into a long-winded explanation of exactly what I'm trying to see, why this bird is interesting, and where it comes from. This generally has one of two effects:
  • The person, being, perhaps, already slightly interested in birds, asks some more questions, learns something new, and maybe also gets an intro into birding as a pastime - also good! :t:

Peter C.
Click to expand...

Yes, the quoted areas on this post explain how I feel,,,

The third thing to add to your list Pete (IMHO)

Sometimes I feel that birds are there to be added to a list, and not observed for the species they are.
The birders forget that birds are living creatures with their own lives, and are not there to be intimidated in any way.

Regards
Kathy
x
 
Hides, whether we like it or not, are built so that all visitors to a reserve, be they hard core birders, Lee haters, photographers, dudes, small children, etc can go about their business without disturbing the wildlife. They are not there solely for the use of:

Good birders
Quiet birders
Birders who don't ask questions
Birders without families
Birders who don't want to talk to each other
Birders without cameras

I could go on.....I'm quite surprised by the levels of intolerance shown here. Perhaps if everyone paid a little more attention to what was going on outside the hide, they wouldn't have such strong feelings towards what was going on inside. Unless of course it was the aforementioned courting couple. That would be quite distracting!
 
Bubbs said:
According to e-bay you've sold everything.

Hand the hides back to the people they were built for....birdwatchers and not photographers.
Click to expand...

So you can't be a birder and use a camera? I thought hides were provided for all people interested in birds. Silly me. Thank you for pointing out my mistake.

John
 
Farnboro John said:
So you can't be a birder and use a camera? I thought hides were provided for all people interested in birds. Silly me. Thank you for pointing out my mistake.

John
Click to expand...

Believe it or not I have no problem with children, people eating food, or others trying to 'out-do' their chums.

Needless to say I never visit reserves these days simply because photographers have made life so miserable for those of us who want peace and quiet. The selfishness of so called photographers is beyond me.
 
Peter C. said:
Anna,

I get this first one a lot - for instance, just over a week ago, at Niagara-on-the-Lake, I had many people come up to ask me what was going on.

(For some reason - which utterly baffles me - in any row of fifteen people with scopes, I'm always the one whom the 'muggles' approach. Given that I'm usually ill-humoured and scowling on these occasions (because if I had seen the blasted thing, I wouldn't still be there!) I find this very weird.)

I deal with it by launching into a long-winded explanation of exactly what I'm trying to see, why this bird is interesting, and where it comes from. This generally has one of two effects:
  • The person, being not really that interested in the first place, comes quickly to the realization that he or she is speaking with a fanatical bore, and therefore attempts to extricate him- or herself from the situation as quickly as humanly possible - good! :t:
  • The person, being, perhaps, already slightly interested in birds, asks some more questions, learns something new, and maybe also gets an intro into birding as a pastime - also good! :t:

Peter C.
Click to expand...

Haha that's the area I had in mind when I started writing this :) I dont mind the ones that are interested in birds, they often assist in finding the bird and give a few good tips. But then there are the ones that have no interest at all, yet interrogate you as if trying to understand why on earth would someone be doing this. Perhaps I shall go into all the details I know about the next time and see if it works.

P.S. Maybe you look friendly? And "muggles" (gottta admit that made me laugh. Harry Potter was good for something) approach you for that reason. I'm sure such situations can be turned into interesting experiences with some sarcasm and even ill-humour. (Not like you'll ever see them again :t: )
 
Bubbs said:
Believe it or not I have no problem with children, people eating food, or others trying to 'out-do' their chums.

Needless to say I never visit reserves these days simply because photographers have made life so miserable for those of us who want peace and quiet. The selfishness of so called photographers is beyond me.
Click to expand...

I see your point but if the peace and quiet is that important are public hides really the place for you?
I dont say that as a criticism as i'm rather fond of peace and quiet myself but thats why i tend not to make a habit of going to public hides.
 
Adam W said:
I see your point but if the peace and quiet is that important are public hides really the place for you?
I dont say that as a criticism as i'm rather fond of peace and quiet myself but thats why i tend not to make a habit of going to public hides.
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Well said, and I so agree Adam.

It is not funny when you have spent a lot of your time travelling to a reserve, and using your precious time (weekend times off) to enjoy yourself with the birds that you see.

It is going to places that suit your birding life, and keeping away from the humilation of other people that you do not need.

Regards
Kathy
x
 
Bubbs said:
Believe it or not I have no problem with children, people eating food, or others trying to 'out-do' their chums.

Needless to say I never visit reserves these days simply because photographers have made life so miserable for those of us who want peace and quiet. The selfishness of so called photographers is beyond me.
Click to expand...

So noisy children, garlic sausage sandwiches, one-upmanship - no problem, but a photographer occupying one person's space on a bench, sitting quietly, concentrating hard on birds, gives you a problem? What are you, a fugitive from the paparazzi? A model trying to get away from the lens?

I'm not saying there aren't "problem photographers" in the same way there are problem children, problem gossips, problem list-gurus etc: but why do you choose to tar all of this particular group with the same brush?

John
 
It is when you are having a moment of quiet contemplation gazing out into the blue and then a 1d MkIV on full auto goes off next to you!
 
Farnboro John said:
So noisy children, garlic sausage sandwiches, one-upmanship - no problem, but a photographer occupying one person's space on a bench, sitting quietly, concentrating hard on birds, gives you a problem? What are you, a fugitive from the paparazzi? A model trying to get away from the lens?

I'm not saying there aren't "problem photographers" in the same way there are problem children, problem gossips, problem list-gurus etc: but why do you choose to tar all of this particular group with the same brush?

John
Click to expand...

I have no problem whatsoever with a photographer sitting quietly. My problem is when the Canon 600mm lens is poked through the shutter flap and the 6fps fires off at some distant speck for the next 90 minutes. Not that I (and many others) are still there 90 minutes later.

Don't be so damn selfish and just think of those whose day you are ruining.
 
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