Darren cheers for sharing I'm not aware of Mike a good watch. Buddy I have no experience of kindfisher hides,or baiting I think pools and food are used alot though. The trouble is mate we have very little in the way of hard core scientific studies to show any possible adverse effects to the birds. For me there probably aren't any negatives and I'd imagine if a spot is fed regularly when the birds are struggling say youngsters learning the ropes(kingy mortality is high I believe in their first year.). The feeding station might just get them through in greater numbers, so it could be viewed as positive. We brit togs seem to worry more about the use of food in wildlife image making more than other folks round the world. I'm one of those worriers Darren. How I impinge on my subjects is a big deal to me But as of yet I can find little of substance illustrating negatives to feeding what is essentially a predatory bird,I'd lump feeding BOP in a simialr category to this
Mate what are your concerns? .
David what bothers you ethically about feeding /baiting?
Mate I'm trying this at the mo with a weasel in garden also musing some kestrels. Beyond my voles and all my garden birds I also feed oh and some badgers . I've never been able to really find a difference between putting out a peanut feeder for me garden birds and the above type of baited set up. I've tried to read up educate myself.,but always draw a blank. I consider my ethics togging wise to be high . I'm an honest guy in life my wildlife images have to reflect that , I just can't find as yet an ethical ground not to do something like the above. . I guess the bait actually being live is the bone of contention in this case but there could well be a benefit to the actual subject being photographed. Davey I know a farmer who feeds some barn owls daily a couple of chix no more nothing to do with image making . This last winter was so tough on barnies all that rain but his will come though and possibly be in a better place come the breeding season ,than if they hadn't been helped. I really struggle with this ethic thang Dave hence my Q to you I ponder it a hell of a lot. even down to my influence on a baby hare ,no bait what so ever in use there but still deep thought as to my actions and there possible implications to my subject
It 's a real emotive subject feeding needs great care and thought what always gets quoted is how the food might alter the hunting habits of the subject ,which is the bit I can find little science to substantiate I just can't see us undoing eons of evolution with some food ??
Dale I think I'd come out with you on the kiingfishers, do the homework set up a perch and not have the llve catch bait.
In many ways the ingenuity of wildlife image makers amazes me. Tanks with fish in for kingfiishers had my eye's wide open when I first became aware. I find the ethics side of what we do fascinating
take care all
stu .