A Difficult one. Certainly schedule 1 bird nests should not be shown at all, but then could that not also be extended to the birds themselves ?. BBC Wildlife have in the past published an explantory guide to common birds nests showing the overall nest shape, form and building materials. Personally I would say yes but with restrictions and assurances from the photographer, but if more qualified organisations say no then I understand, this is not my field of expertise.
I have photographed them in the past (telephoto lens, with care) and in some cases it's not as if the birds are disturbed (don't jump down my throat just yet), we have a Blackbird pair, who over the last 3 years have built a nest within 10ft of our back door. We can see them and the nest, they can see us and the cat, each goes their own way without disturing the other. They are successfull as well, two broods last year, we've watched the parents come and go and the young fledge, how would that put me if we were in Scotland ?.
Quote:
|
Personally, if it's legal, I'm in favour of showing the images, as long as they include a clear notice about the issues concerned. We could also add a facility for the uploader to verify that the circumstances under which the photograph was taken meets all current legislation etc. That way, every time a photo is displayed, the notice is also displayed and the topic is kept current. However, without any nest photos on the site, the topic will hardly ever come up.
|
I understand the concerns and I think these and relavent advice should appear on WAB. Most of us here on WAB are responsible people with wildlife interests at heart, acting responsibly, we would not be here otherwise.