Day out with Andy part 2

Love the scrubwren shot and especially the Eastern robin birdie.

I take it the Pademelons were in mary Cairncross?

I was in at Mary Cairncross on Anzac Day for the first time, after spending Easter with friends at Maroochydore. It's the only place around the coast that I've seen those little pademelons, so figured your photos might be from there.
.
It was dark enough in there at midday on a wet and cloudy day, so you did well to get shots when the light was fading.

HI Ninox, I wonder where you've drawn your conclusion from regarding flash being harmful to a creature's eyes? Generally, there are two sides to using flash - and that's concerning the use of flash photography on nocturnal, not diurnal or crepuscular, birds. Those who detest the practice and those who advocate it, albeit with care and respect for the subject. Personally, your comment regarding it being harmful is the first I have seen anywhere, and that's because Birdie appeared to be mostly photographing diurnal birds. :)

Hi Andy
Of course I know what you mean. No problems. :)

I have been told I was naughty, very naughty by a well-known research scientist who is dead against flash photography on nocturnal birds/animals. Then again, I know a zoologist, who studied owls for at least 10 years and does not see any issues with flash photography. To my knowledge, there’s limited literature available pertaining to this very subject, however, many people tend to draw their own conclusions, and at times perhaps, based on comments made by others.
For me personally, I am not against it, nor do I advocate the irresponsible use of flash for nocturnal animals, but can tell from my own, personal, experiences that I have used flash on nocturnal animals and not once have I noted any ill effect after photos were taken of various species from owls to mammals. Now, there are times, or were, when I was not able to photograph an animal, or if the body language of the animal shows distress etc, it’s most likely (again my opinion, and experience) would be attributed to me being there not a flash and camera. So in some instances I choose to not photograph an animal because I can see it’s distressed or not in any way, shape, or form, willing to act as a cooperative subject. I hereby quote my mate’s words from an e-mail exchange we had two years ago and I will e-mail you (Andy) the lot as well as his draft article on owls’ vision. Please don’t share them off line, it’s all I ask.

QUOTE:

Many zoologists like folks to think that they know all, about all species. However the areas where as a zoologist I can claim expert status to a high degree are two fold.
a/ Strategies of migrational shorebirds
b/ Behaviour & sensory perception of owls.

Though it has been a few years since I retired from academe, I do have 20 years experience with owls, about 10 of those intensively so. I could write & supply reams of data but I want (& the wife demands) to keep this as short as possible.

A couple of studies in the US about 15-20 years ago did not concur with your friend & as you astutely recognised: 'but am not sure what research and proof there is to validate her comments'. That said I am sure that she is genuinely concerned about birds & a very nice lady.

I can only speak for my own work & observations, part of which involved placing helmets on birds, alternatively, preventing vision, hearing, both or none. I have also used many varieties of light plus taken at least many hundreds of flash images of them over that time.

Never once have I detected or recorded any deleterious effect on their vision, long term or otherwise, over all that time. When blindfolded & prey (not live but artificial on a line, emitting a broad range of
frequencies) is introduced, not once have I ever seen a 'blind' bird miss the target. It is all in the hearing.

Owls can tolerate bright light much better than humans. They will often stare directly into the sun or high powered beams eg spotlights around tennis courts/football stadiums & still behave competently ie efficiently hunt afterwards. Of course the power & duration of a normal camera flash is much less.

The only time I have known of a flash disturbing an owl was when an idiot photographer from the UK flashed a flying barn owl face on with strobes that were modified landing lights from an air force Nimrod aircraft (see attached).

Absolutely insane! The owl was startled by the flash/noise/heat of the strobe & flew into a chimney. Happily I am told it did regain its senses quite quickly & continued to fly normally throughout the rest of night. I am led to believe that the photographer never used the flashes on owls again.

I have only used a single standard hotshoe flash with any of my owl photographs.

I would imagine a primate's reception to a standard camera flash to be pretty similar to our own, but I am an expert in owl perception, not mammals thus I defer to & agree with your friend & her colleagu

Hi Andy
You will quickly learn to yell within yourself. trust me. :)

Of course, what I wrote is not a definitive answer. Just what I know, experienced and have learned from others with far greater knowledge. :)

I tried to find your possum and it appears to be a Short-eared Possum.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Short-eared-Possum-Trichosurus-caninus