![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/red-naped-sapsucker-0866-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1\/2000, f\/7.1, ISO 1000, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 360mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\nEven at this high elevation they’re apparently already feeding chicks. Here one parent has arrived at the cavity with insects in its beak (and this time they may not be ants) as the other adult prepares to leave. Both parents brought food\u00a0to the nest\u00a0but at longer time intervals between trips than last year, probably because these chicks are younger and smaller.<\/p>\n
This nest cavity is at a\u00a0very inconvenient place on the tree for photography because of the shadows cast by leaves just out of frame at upper left. Because of the shadows I’m not happy with this shot but it’s the best one I was able to get. It’s very likely I won’t even return to this tree because my chances of getting images I like are negligible.\u00a0That’s very\u00a0frustrating but it’s just the way it is.<\/p>\n
It wouldn’t take much to make this an almost ideal location for photographing the sapsackers at the cavity. All I’d have to do is clip two very small branches which would remove all the offending leaves and their shadows. But I won’t do that for the following reasons:<\/p>\n
\n- I consider myself to be a “nature” photographer and I don’t do setups. But more importantly:<\/em><\/li>\n
- To clip those small branches I’d have to get within inches of the nest. There are chicks in there and the parents would almost certainly see me do\u00a0the nefarious deed and\/or they’d notice the branches and leaves were gone.\u00a0Some birds abandon both nests and chicks when they feel the safety and integrity of the nest site has been compromised and I just won’t take that chance.<\/em><\/li>\n
- Birds often choose nest locations for reasons we don’t fully understand. Perhaps those leaves provide shade,\u00a0cover or camouflage\u00a0and the sapsuckers chose this location on the tree to excavate their cavity partially for those reasons. There’s no way I’m cutting those branches.<\/em><\/li>\n
- And last but not least I like to sleep at night… \ud83d\ude42<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Sadly it’s common (very common)\u00a0practice for unethical bird photographers to remove branches and leaves from around nests in order to give them “better” photos. At least these chicks in the cavity\u00a0are protected from many predators and the sun but most nests don’t have that advantage.\u00a0If the leaves\/branches are\u00a0removed chicks can (and often do)\u00a0bake and die in the sun,\u00a0they can be\u00a0found by predators more easily and\u00a0there’s the danger of the nests and chicks being abandoned by the parents because of the disturbance.<\/p>\n
Obviously I didn’t post this image because it’s a great shot – instead I posted it to make a point. Altering nest sites for photography is an unethical and truly\u00a0despicable practice and I’m just trying to help spread the word by explaining why since oftentimes those behaviors are\u00a0done out if ignorance.<\/p>\n
Knowing many of my regular\u00a0readers as I do\u00a0I’m aware that to some degree\u00a0I’m preaching to the choir but\u00a0I hope every little bit helps.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is one of those situations that tempts unscrupulous photographers into unethical behaviors.<\/p>\n
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