Something to keep in mind as we enjoy wildlife in its home, our "outdoors": Just by being there, we add stress to the environment. If there are a lot of us, it can affect animals' ability to survive, as they spend more energy responding to false calls (from our sound devices) or perceived danger (us being too close to their nests or dens (primary habitat), resulting in literally not enough energy to fend off real predators/competition, etc.
The birding code of ethics makes this one of the first guidelines: "avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger; exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming."
Kathy Jana

Comments