Finally found some Snowys!

[goooner]

Great shot!

 

[jsecordphoto]

Yep, I was there the other day and some idiots were trampling their way over the fence. I had a word with them after the owl bolted and the guy with $30,000 worth of Canon wildlife gear tried to play dumb with me. Mhm...

Last winter my friend documented people in a car feeding the Rye Harbor Snowy live mice... as in they sat in their nice warm car eating McDonalds while trying to lure the owl to them with the mice. Apparently they had a big tupperware container of mice in the back seat. Seriously.
One time I had to confront another photographer who was throwing rocks "towards" the same owl to "get it's attention". WTF is wrong with people...

yeah, I heard about both of those situations last year. I've been meeting a lot of people around Plum Island with more camera gear than manners or ethics around wildlife.

If you're ever planning a trip down to the Seacoast again send me a PM, I live in the town where you took your Snowy shot. I can show you a few "unknown" spots that are usually free of the ignorant looky-loos. Or we could form a two man posse and distribute Owl Justice. Your choice.

Here's my take from last season:
Snowies - an album on Flickr

Absolutely. It'd be great to meet up with another wildlife photographer. I'm friends with a lot of local landscape photographers, but only one of them has a lens longer than 200mm so I rarely have anyone to out with

 

[bribrius]

Really nice. Also like your mentality on wildlife and consideration. Thumbs up man!

 

[Raj_55555]

Nice shot JS!

One time I had to confront another photographer who was throwing rocks "towards" the same owl to "get it's attention". WTF is wrong with people...

I hate people like these, more often than not these are the kind of people who get into wildlife photography because it's cool, and not because they love nature and photography. I just don't know how to deal with these disrespectful bunch!

 

[jsecordphoto]

Really nice. Also like your mentality on wildlife and consideration. Thumbs up man!

Thanks man, I wish more people would respect these animals. I see the same thing with people shooting landscapes, they go out and leave trash and stuff. The thing is, usually the people littering are the less serious landscape photographers...the point and shoot (no disrespect, just saying) crowd. A lot of the worst offenders I've seen around wildlife are walking around with 15 grand in gear on their tripods.

 

[bulldurham]

Just to show you what a dick I can be, I took a pic of a wedding photographer doing a setup in the dunes btween two clearly marked "these are protected areas, keep off the dunes," signs with my cell phone then sent them to the park ranger who sent out another ranger and issued a citation to both the photographer and the idiots sitting in the dunes. To be fair, I had asked them not to go into the dunes and was told less than politely by the photog where I could stick it...she'll be shooting elsewhere from now on

 

[jsecordphoto]

Bull if I see it, I'd do the same thing.

 

[annamaria]

Really nice shot. I wish people would be more respectful of wildlife. I absolutely love nature.

 

[MSnowy]

Nice shot. Most of the Snowys I've seen tend to sit for hours. One of the first ones I saw last year I sat with for 5hrs hoping to get a flight shot. He outlasted me because it was Super Bowl Sunday.

 

[18.percent.gary]

I hate people like these, more often than not these are the kind of people who get into wildlife photography because it's cool, and not because they love nature and photography. I just don't know how to deal with these disrespectful bunch!

Very well said Raj...Also a lot of wildlife photographers seem more obsessed with the technical and gear aspect rather than the subject. Some photographers will come over to me to talk about the bird, others to talk about their lens.

5hrs hoping to get a flight shot

Lol, that sounds very familiar...

 

[jsecordphoto]

18.percent.gary is that in Rye? Looks like the beach right next to Rye Harbor

 

[18.percent.gary]

18.percent.gary is that in Rye? Looks like the beach right next to Rye Harbor

Yep. That's the Snowy that was being fed mice and having rocks thrown at it. She was obviously very comfortable with people getting close to her, I'll be interested to see if she returns this year...

 

[Jacaranda_wifey]

Love the snowy - glorious bird !!!! Nice shot