Hi John,
The whole point of having the debate and considering the options is so that everyone can have their say. Some have PM'ed/emailed me, others have posted here, and as you'll know from the photos in the past, there are quite a few photographers who have obviously supported taking nest photos.
The topic has been opened for discussion because we are more than just a forum-based site with a pretty
Gallery. WAB also aims to be an educational tool with reference material that can be used in schools etc.
Some of the emails I've received have pointed to the arguments that the site could be a poorer place without bird nest photos. Here's just some of the opinions:
- One of the biggest crimes in the environment is the lack of education and interest in wildlife amongst the younger generations (which is something I personally agree with). If the photos are sourced properly then they'd be a very interesting educational tool that can serve to stimulate interest in wildlife and also raise awareness about the issues surrounding bird nests.
- If WAB has a library of images that are given away for free, rather than selling them (selling them was never an option anyway), people won't need to take their own.
- Without bird nest photos, the subject will be swept under the carpet and people will continue to take their own images.
- Nests with chicks should be kept out, but old and empty nests, webcams etc could still be kept in.
- Keep them in, but only if they're taken by WAB staff (In this case we don't really have any staff as everything in run by volunteers and as most people get involved at some point the lines are very blurry, but I think they probably mean the Gallery editors, mods and admins).
- Allow them in the reference section, but not the Gallery (for similar reasons to SteveA's post above)
- Do we also ban images of young animals, captive animals etc - maybe they should all still be allowed, to keep the issues alive. If the arguments against are strong enough then supply will naturally fizzle out.
- The RSPB's own rspb-images.com has many nest photos, they don't appear to have any notices, and they're not easily accessible (i.e. they're not free).
- WAB can always refer site visitors to other sources, but would have greater control of the topic (we can post our own notices) if the images are in-house.
With PMs and emails (another 6 this morning), the forum is more split than it might first appear in this thread. I've also had personal comments from two large orgs and a uni to say that it's not entirely a thumbs-down situation. It's a topic that's worthy of good debate and I'm glad that so many people have got involved. We owe it to the community to explore all oppportunities and let everyone have their say.
That said, as things currently stand, it looks likely that we'll probably be maintaining the ban on nest photos for the foreseeable future.
Stuart