Farmington Bay WMA has been a madhouse lately.
Recently refuge managers have performed their annual carp kill in an effort to control that invasive and destructive fish. The dead carp are dispersed by the currents and provide much-needed winter food for Bald Eagles and other birds on the refuge. The carp kill itself is somewhat controversial but personally I don’t have a major problem with it and that controversy is not a focus of this post.
But I do have a problem with what often happens after the fish are killed.
Folks retrieve the dead carp from the water and place them in concentrated numbers in strategic locations to lure in eagles for photographic and viewing purposes. This was a tiny portion of the scene three days ago just west of the “Owl Bridge”. There were almost 80 Bald Eagles in the general area competing for dead carp, at least three of which can be seen in this photo but there were many other dead fish that had been spread out nearby.
Normally these eagles are wary of humans and vehicles so most of them stay far out in more remote areas of the refuge where they’re largely inaccessible but baiting them brings them within range of photographers and wildlife watchers. The morning light angle at this location is perfect for photography and concentrating them unnaturally like this causes lots of dramatic fights over food which of course is very exciting for the photographer.
But baiting raptors for photographic purposes is clearly unethical so I avoid the area as best I can. On this morning I stopped for a couple of minutes to confirm what was happening through my lens and then left all the hubbub to the dozens of photographers and wildlife watchers who were clogging the road. I haven’t been back, except to pass that area on the road as I look for other birds on the refuge.
1/8000, f/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, canvas added for composition, not baited, set up or called in
Of course finding other birds to photograph well is much more difficult than photographing baited eagles but I did manage to get a decent shot of this Northern Harrier as it cruised by me on a hunting foray on the same morning. I especially like the eye contact and the raised left wing.
It isn’t my purpose to debate the ethics of raptor baiting here. If you have a different view, so be it. But there are good reasons why most bird and nature organizations and prestigious nature photography contests strongly oppose baiting in their guidelines.
I couldn’t agree more.
Ron
I was there a couple weeks ago photographing Harriers myself (albeit not as well as you). when a lady got out if her Jeep and with a pitchfork and was pulling carp out if the stream and dragging them to “spots” and slicing them open. At first I thought she was a DNR employee because she acted like she owned the place. She drug one past me and talked to her a minute”Brings em in she says” I went back the next day and she was set up with her camera photographing eagles. Crazy I left wondering about the leagality if it all.
Thanks for shedding some light on the. this and great photos as always.
Bryan, was she quite chubby? If so a friend saw her out there yesterday moving fish and even knocking down vegetation.
I’d say “decent shot” wildly understates it. One of the most dramatic images I think I’ve seen in your postings.
I’m glad you like it, James. Thank you.
The first shot reminds me of the dump north of here where the eagles are thick. Humans really know how to debase other life forms.
The lone harrier is worth a thousand baited eagles.
“Humans really know how to debase other life forms”
We sure do. Thanks, Lyle.
Surprisingly, I never heard it put exactly thay way before…but that perfectly expresses how I’ve felt and what I’ve thought for years,,,,
So happy to know your are out and about even though not up to full speed. Just take your time and I know how hard it is to be patient when you start feeling better but it wall pay off in the long run.
The picture of the eagles and crows is disheartening. I keep hoping the “me generation” will end but it seems there are several of those generations now.
My daughter was very happy to make your acquaintance at the Eccles Wildlife Training Center the other day. She loves what she does there and especially Bill.
Thanks, Betty. I enjoyed meeting and visiting with your daughter and yes, Billy is a great guy.
LISTRN TO BETTY!!! Be patient!!! DON’T RUSH THINGS…TAKE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TO HEAL!!! It will pay off, believeme!!! ITS WELL WORTH IT!!!
Ron, the Harrier photo is an excellent shot. There is such sheen on the beautiful feathers.
As to the Carp situation, I can see why you would stay as far away as you can from that mess. People’s behavior can be so disgusting and discourteous to birds and humans.
Thank you
Thank you, Alice.
Yes it is nuts out there this year! I think the fish have been placed there by someone who knows what they are doing, nice backdrop, perfect morning light and just the right focal range for a 500mm with a 1.4 extender, bumping out the less experienced novice with the lower end camera gear. I was thinking of going this morning but not feeling well and the thought of the ciaos in my favorite place was too much, so here sit. I was also upset the last time I went at how people are chasing the barn owls around. The birds life is worth more than a photo one might get.
I think I will take tomorrow off work and go out in the morning no matter what the weather, I’d like to go before the gates are closed. I still go on my bike on the dikes while I can, but the birds are too jumpy when I walk or ride. I want to ride the newer road out to the west now that they have flooded the west field. The area has been dry for decades.
That is a dark harrier. I like the wing position too. Hope you are out and about again this week, it does the soul good!
“I think the fish have been placed there by someone who knows what they are doing”
There’s no question about that, April.
I hope you find better conditions out there tomorrow.
When will we as a species ever learn? 😡 It infuriates me when people manipulate animals for their own personal (human) agendas because it rarely ends well for the animals — nor for the community at large.
I’ll hop off my early morning soapbox and admire your lovely Harrier shot.
P.S. I hope the crows photobomb every one of ther eagle shots! Of course, if they have no qualms about baiting, they probably have even fewer about photoshop, but at least they’ll have to work a little harder for that “perfect” shot.
Marty, most of their shots of the eagles on the ground would have multiple crows in them so at least there’s that. Thanks.
Ron: Agree completely with you about the baiting of raptors. Then when those photogs get their “prize” images, they usually won’t disclose what they did to acquire them. That speaks volumes sadly.
“Then when those photogs get their “prize” images, they usually won’t disclose what they did to acquire them”
That’s exactly right, Keith. Disclosure of such things is so rare as to be almost nonexistent.
Beautiful shot of the Harrier, Ron! 🙂 I love the rich browns of both the feathers and eyes. 🙂 The wing extension REALLY adds to photo…….. I’m with your on what amounts to baiting and also wonder how stressful it is for the birds and unnecessary injuries caused? It’s one thing for them to fight over a naturally occurring thing like road kill or other death another to deliberately set up the conflict. 🙁 As a side note I didn’t realize how much fighting takes place with the raptors wings as well as talons until going through more photos yesterday nor how the shape of the lower beak on a Bald Eagle may or may not be helpful for tearing meat….. :O
Thanks, Judy. You make a good point about unnatural fighting.
Neat photo…really do like the facial angle here and of course the look you got. Do agree with Steve on the wing feathers…oh, the beauty one can miss without a good look. A Side note… With the influx of RoughLegged Hawks in and about the marsh areas, the Harriers seem to have disappeared for a while. Is there a natural aversion between the two or is it just co-incidence? For quite a while all I saw were the harriers but not now. I do see the hawks getting voles and other small critters all the time as I did with the harriers but perhaps there is competition for the food source that the hawks won out on.
I’m not sure, Kathy. In winter around here there’s usually a few roughies in the same areas as the more common harriers but I’ve never noticed the numbers of one species responding to increases or decreases in the numbers of the other.
Excellent shot Ron…really like the pattern displayed on his left wing…Harriers are such cool birds…Thanks
Thanks, Steve.