Use of flash with nocturnal animals

[Ukwildlifeo]

Ive been wondering recently on the ethics/guidelines of using a flash when photographing wildlife at night.
Looking round the net there are plenty of examples of this, which in the case of animals that use their nose primarily to find food like hedgehogs, foxes and badgers I cant really see a major problem with unless it startles them. But in the case of owls for example which have sensitive eyes could the flash not harm them? I remember reading somewhere (fairly sure it was on here) that if an Owl has a flash used on it, it can affect its eyesight and ability to hunt for an hour or so. So is there any consensus on what ok and whats not?

[DrNickBurton]

I have to admit, it's not something I'd like to do, pretty much for the reasons you mentioned. The way high ISO performance is going though, just wait for a clear night with a full moon and you wont need a flash

Anyway, flash light is too harsh for my liking (I just listed my SB-900 on ebay - I never did find a use for it). Sunset or sunrise - that's the right time for wildlife photography!

[Jonners]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Ive been wondering recently on the ethics/guidelines of using a flash when photographing wildlife at night.
Looking round the net there are plenty of examples of this, which in the case of animals that use their nose primarily to find food like hedgehogs, foxes and badgers I cant really see a major problem with unless it startles them. But in the case of owls for example which have sensitive eyes could the flash not harm them? I remember reading somewhere (fairly sure it was on here) that if an Owl has a flash used on it, it can affect its eyesight and ability to hunt for an hour or so. So is there any consensus on what ok and whats not?

Here's a thread from last year that I started, having made the mistake of using flash on a Nightjar, unaware of the impact it could have. Jeff H's contribution is particularly informative.
Nocturnal photography

[Ukwildlifeo]

Thanks, I should have guessed it came from Jeffs knowledge really

Sad that it seems a lot of folks are putting getting a photo before the welfare of the animal.

The thread also raises the question of what animals is it ok for - spiders and centipedes will probably be unaffected, owls and sight hunting animals are a big no no, but bats fall in a grey area, since they hunt with sound/echolocation but do have eyes with ok eyesight?

Is there some sort of guidelines list of what ok and not?

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

Thanks, I should have guessed it came from Jeffs knowledge really

Sad that it seems a lot of folks are putting getting a photo before the welfare of the animal.

The thread also raises the question of what animals is it ok for - spiders and centipedes will probably be unaffected, owls and sight hunting animals are a big no no, but bats fall in a grey area, since they hunt with sound/echolocation but do have eyes with ok eyesight?

Is there some sort of guidelines list of what ok and not?

Thanks for the comment Ukwildlifeo but I'm afraid my own knowledge of the impact of flash is limited to nocturnal birds (as outlined in the earlier post mentioned by Jonners) and I too wonder about the effects of its use on other creatures.

I also share your concern (judging by some of the images appearing on general photography, as opposed to wildlife, websites) that many photographers are putting their photography before the welfare of their subjects and are simply more interested in the photography than in the wildlife itself.

I'm certainly not aware of any 'guidelines list' but, from my own researches, the generally held view does seem to be that the use of flash isn't harmful with creatures that hunt nocturnally and primarily by sense of smell - such as badgers, hedgehogs and foxes.

Having said that, I've been watching the night-time activities of some local badgers recently (well away from their sett I might add ) and whilst they seem totally unperturbed by the use of red lighting over the area concerned, as soon as a flash is fired they run off - though they're back within a few minutes.

I'm told they'll eventually become used to it but so far I've taken just two photos in more than 20 hours of watching and I'd certainly be interested to hear of other peoples experiences of the use of flash with badgers.

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls & Avocets)

[PMG]

We've taken badger photography very carefully and slowly over the past two years but have actually been seriously badger watching for about 16 years. We were very wary at first about lighting of any kind but have found that 'our' badgers are unconcerned about light in any form, torches and flashes are just ignored My main concern was the sound of the shutter which on the 20D sounded like gunfire in the quiet of the night - and the 40D isn't much quieter - but with the 40D there is 'live view' and that has a very quiet click which is really good.

The inmates at the sett we watch and feed get used to us - in that I'm sure they know that our smell is always accomapnied by food and nothing bad happens to them while we are there but they still react more to sound and smell than light of any kind. But I will say it again these badgers are in some respects used to us - they're not tame and we don't want them to get tame cos we can't be around all the time. We wouldn't find a sett and then set straight up for photography - its taken a long time and a lot of courage on our part to even begin to risk disturbance at a sett we want to continue to watch. Once the badgers have their heads down eating they become pretty resistant even to slight noise and human smell but again that might be because they associate our smell with food and nothing bad happening to them. Its trial and error and take your courage in both hands for badger photography would be my view!

Funnily enough only this morning I have written my once yearly letter to the local police reminding them that we will be around certain areas with our car parked up in the dark both early hours as well as dusk during the next two or three months!

Without looking it up word for word I'm pretty sure that flash photography at a bat roost is illegal - both for the disturbance of the roost and the use of bright sudden light startling them. Perhaps one of the wab members with this info at their fingertips may chip in here?

Pauline

[diggleken]

I took some bats in flight a few years ago, they werent put off it seemed, just kept whizzing up and down the lane, missing my head quite well.
Pre-focused with flash on and panned with them as they flew past, not great with my little compact but OK - but I havent bothered since.
I may be able to find out Pauline about roost area and other legalities if no one else knows, I work with a licensed bat handler, will seek advice at the weekend.
Cheers
Ken

[PMG]

Originally Posted by diggleken

I took some bats in flight a few years ago, they werent put off it seemed, just kept whizzing up and down the lane, missing my head quite well.
Pre-focused with flash on and panned with them as they flew past, not great with my little compact but OK - but I havent bothered since.
I may be able to find out Pauline about roost area and other legalities if no one else knows, I work with a licensed bat handler, will seek advice at the weekend.
Cheers
Ken

Thanks ken - I'm ashamed to say my memory is often hopeless these days (I hope what is happening to my mother isn't coming for me too .......) but I'm pretty sure that flash at any bat roost is illegal - but away from the roost then its not illegal. We used strong lamps during our bat walks at work - but only played them over a patch of ground or the lake for very short bursts as much cos the lamp only lasted 20 mins anyway but we did notice that the bats would tend to drift away from a torch or lamp lit area reasonably quickly - so if you didn't get everyone on the bridge and show them the bats flitting up and down in the first few flash lights - then after a few mins the bats had gone to feed elsewhere! Same with playing the beam across the main water - you could pick up Daubentons for the first few passes then the air cleared and the bats went off to hunt over an area where the bat walk and folks were not!

I know it is illegal to disturb any bat in a roost or a roost site the same as it is illegal to walk over the spoil of a badgers sett .........

Pauline

[canis.rufus]

Hi All,

As suggested flash photography - or any disturbance - at a bat roost is indeed illegal. To do so would require a specific scientific license based on comprehensive justifications. The legality of photographing bats in flight away from the roost varies slightly depending on who you ask, but is generally considered to be ok in my experience. That's not to say it's easy, the main advantage when photographing at a roost is that you have a much better idea of where the bat is going to be.

Although bats echolocation they still have good eyesight and there is evidence that it is also important sense for navigation and hunting, although perhaps to different extents between species.

Cheers - Toby.

[diggleken]

Toby is pretty much right, apart from it seems that its considered unacceptable by my bat friends group to take flash pics which might disturb them, even away from roosts, but its impossible to police that.
EU habitat regulations have been amended over a few years and with the wildlife and countryside act, is very strong now to protect these lovely animals, so no more pics from me, plus if you are licensed under the act and break the conditions, its a criminal offence.
Cheers
Ken