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Originally Posted by doubleclix  I never knew you might need a license to take wildlife photos! Are there any specifics or are they generic rules?  |
Doubleclix, you basically have to just use a bit of commmon sense with any protected species. Just think "am I disturbing this animal, or affecting how it is going about its daily life? (including feeding, breeding, roosting, hibernation)"... I think people can get a bit confused by the legalities, but in the end it just comes down to disturbance. So even something as simple as shining a torch at a bat box to 'see better' would disturb them quite a lot.
Flash photography certainly would disturb bats, and you would need a licence. Its the same for any protected species, although with birds, etc, disturbance usually comes from approaching them in the first place.
But switch your flash off as you did, and I dont think anyone would say you are causing disturbance by snapping pics as the bats come near your house. Have fun!
You can pick up bat detectors relatively cheaply these days, and you could also get in touch with your local bat group - enough time spent doing bat walks and using detectors, and you will get your 'eye in' when it comes to identifying bats.
