Field Ornithology Group of Sri
Lanka [FOGSL] is completing 40 years of Conservation "Together for Birds and People" in 2016 / 2017 . This achievement was commemorated with the BirdLife Asia Council and
the BirdLife International Global Council meeting up in Sri Lanka. A highlight
of these events was the Bird Fair at the Thalawathugoda Wetland Sanctuary on
Sunday the 20th November 2016. Much of the FOGSL’s pioneers and the
present membership and the general public was at the venue braving the inclement
weather making the occasion a well-attended and a successful one which included
expatriate birdwatchers.
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| Picture courtesy - Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka - Public Group Facebook |
I was there with my bird friendly
buddy Wilson Kulasuriya and met with two pioneer FOGSL founder members. We represent the
early membership of FOGSL and were of the old school of birdwatchers in
Thalawathugoda that day. The following day photographs of us in discussion was posted in
social media captioning “Friends make
life a lot more fun. So here's to the crap we talk............”
Much of the locals that
frequented the venue that day did not carry binoculars or a spotting scope but
almost all of them had a camera with them. A few did carry extremely expensive
cameras while most others did carry a simple point and shoot digital camera which
wouldn’t be of any use on a bird sitting a few meters across the waterway.
In comparison all the expatriate
birders did carry field glasses and a field guide of the common birds in Sri
Lanka that was available for sale at the Bird Fair………..but some of them did
carry expensive cameras alongside their field glasses as well.
This was a clear sign of the
impact of posting bird photographs on social media that has had on the general
public and the confusion of the new birdwatcher over photography and birdwatching.
The origins of Birdwatching
The four seasons, spring, summer,
autumn and winter in the temperate zone did have an impact on the fauna and
flora in the region. This seasonal change in the climate also had a significant
effect on humans as well. As a result, man started to observe these changes of
the climate in relation to the behavior of the fauna and flora that had adopted
to these changes by instinct.
Spring as the name suggests is
the time that the flora gets into new foliage and flower for fruiting. It is in
this time that the insects are busy pollinating the flowers aiding fruiting.
Birds and other animals contribute to the propagation and the distribution of the
seed by consuming the fruit as fodder and dispersing the seed away from the
parent plants.
In line with this new seasonal
abundance in food, the birds and other animals take advantage in breed their own
kind. The breeding season for birds commences with the selection of a
prospective partner followed by nest building. It’s time to nurture the young
before the next seasonal change when all these food resources would be gone.
Most birds being omnivorous exploit on the increase of the insect population
which is a good source of high energy protein for the young fledglings.
Summer following spring the
fledglings are now young birds going about following and imitating the parent
birds learning the instincts of survival from them.
Come autumn or more commonly
known as the fall, flora takes to change once again preparing for the cold
winter that is to follow. Flora starts to shed its foliage. This is a signal for
the birds and other animals to get ready for the harsh winter to follow. Many
of the juvenile birds are now strong and fit to brave the oncoming the winter.
Some would fly away to warmer lands in the south closer to the tropics while
some would brave the winter.
In the winter the snowfall makes
the habitat to change to a glow of white. The hedgehog the foxes and many other
mammals go into hiding. They are hibernating. Most birds have left the habitat.
Those that stay over have stopped singing and are inactive conserving their
energy to survive the harsh climate.
This change in seasons created
curiosity on humans living in these regions. Science was yet to understand
these changes with the positioning of planet earth traversing around the sun. It
was not until the end of the eighteenth century that migration as an
explanation for the winter disappearance of birds from northern climes was
accepted.
The bird migration did create new
social cultures in humans in these two regions. There was people in the tropics
waiting for the ducks, geese and other song birds to come in the winter. They were
thought as god’s wishes in providing a seasonal food source for those in the
tropics.
The birds that braved the winter
has changed plumage color to avoid predation. New birds have come over to these
temperate zones from the colder Arctic regions. Again it was thought to be
god’s wishes that changed the birds in the habitat. A classic example is that the
Robin in the garden would be changed to a Redstart [a bird similar in size and had orange color as in a Robin] people thought it was gods wish to change the birds in winter.
It was only that the Robin has gone south and the Redstart too has come down
south to take the place of the Robin.
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| Picture courtesy- Ragnar Kinzelbach Source: http://www.springalive.net/ |
It was not until 1822 when a White Stork was discovered in Germany,
with an arrow in its neck. This stork had flown all the way to Germany with an
arrow in its neck and the arrow was traced to central Africa. This is how bird
migration was scientifically understood. Until then people thought the Barn
Swallows turned into mice, or birds flew to the moon or other such crazy
things. Germany has recorded 25 such arrow stork known as ‘Pfeilstorch’ says,
Ragnar Kinzelbach of University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany where one such stork
is preserved as an exhibit.
So it was basically during this
time that people started noting and recording of the birds coming in and
disappearing. They started to note the change in the plumage during the
breeding season and before the disappearance in the winter. The breeding season
needed the males to be colorful in order to attract a prospective female, while
in the migration needed extra energy and the plumage turned into drab color
when the genetics would take way the extra color which is now conserved as energy
and suits the tropical habitat preventing predation.
Thus commenced man’s interest in
birds which eventually turned in to a pastime or hobby known as Birdwatching.
Origins of Birdwatching in Sri Lanka
Birdwatching was not a pastime
that existed in this country until the Colonial British came over and started
documenting the Natural History in this region. The period of 1840 -1880 was
the time that the knowledge of the county’s avifauna was firmly established by
four persons. They were Robert Templeton, an Iris surgeon in the Royal
Artillery, Edward Frederick Kelaart born in the island to German and Dutch parents,
Edgar Leopold Layard an Englishman and William Vincent Legge, an Australian
artillery officer. Of them Templeton, Layard and Legge were specimen
collectors. Templeton collected specimens for Edward Blyth, the curator of the
Royal Asiatic Society’s Museum in Calcutta, and a major figure in developing
ornithology in India and Ceylon as was called then. Kellaart did study the
whole of the natural history on the region with the aid of the specimens collected
by others.
The most significant of these
four was Capt. William Vincent Legge, who devoted all his spare time to birds
and the result being the comprehensive documentation of the birds in the
country “A History of the Birds of Ceylon (1880),". This book is a standout among the nineteenth century ornithological publications, as it is a descriptive one compared to the systematically situated ornithological writings of the others during this period.
However the significant
ornithologist of the first half of the twentieth century in Sri Lanka was
William Watt Addison Phillips an English tea planter. He came to the island in
1911 and stayed until 1957. His great care and perseverance in collecting
specimens, and his broad ranging knowledge of the mammalian and the avian
fauna, made way to identify and name several new species.
So it is evident that even in
this country the earliest form of bird identification was related to specimen
collection where the skins were preserved by taxidermy and it was big business
as these skins ended up as collector items with a high price tags. It was only after
the amendment to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance in the 1960 s, did it outlaw the
shooting of any wild bird on the island, excepting for ducks for a limited period during the year as game birds. And so did the specimen collection
come to an end. However even this concession is done away with today and if a
museum or a university is in need of a bird specimen, permission would be granted only to
the discretion of the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation who will issue
a permit in this regard.
Thus ended the period of shot gun ornithology in this
country.
Bird organizations in Sri Lanka
The first organization for Birds
and Ornithology in the country was originated as the Ceylon Bird Club in the
year 1943 with seven members that including G. M. Henry and W.W.A. Phillips; the
two foremost ornithologists of Sri Lanka. Both Henry and Phillips did their own
publications and are reference books on the subject to this day.
The club became the stage for the English expatriate naturalist and the membership
never exceeded over twelve people in the early days. This situation changed by
the 1950 s with much of the British leaving the country. The first local member
to be invited to join the club was E.B. Wikramanayake who was introduced by
Phillip himself before he left the country.
The Ceylon Bird Club continues to
this day with its local membership but prefers to maintain its restrictive membership
policy just as then.
This restraint on its membership
policy did lead to the founding of a second bird organization in the country
the “Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka” (FOGSL) in 1976 in the University of
Colombo.
Impact of Digital Photography on Birds
Wildlife Photography
Wildlife photography is as old as
birdwatching in the world. The invention of the Single Lens Reflex Camera [SLR]
with interchangeable lenses in the mid 1960 s revolutionized wildlife
photography the world over. However it was the interchangeable telephoto lenses
that were produced as optional accessories for the SLR cameras that had a fixed
focal length which amused and enabled the wildlife enthusiast to get his distant
subjects on to the celluloid film in his new camera. These lenses just as they
were very advantages in the field did have its draw back as well. If your
subject was in a close range position one had to run away from the subject in
order to get the animal into the frame of the film in the camera. If was fun to
see people backing away from elephants then, in order to get them in full into
the frame.
It was not until the invention of
the auto / manual focus zoom lenses which could vary the focal length and the
angle of view as well, did wildlife photography become popular and open up a
new era in the world of Natural History.
In 1999 Nikon of Japan introduced
the Nikon D1; the first digital SLR camera with 2.74 megapixels, with an
introductory price tag under $ 6,000 which was affordable to many, did wildlife
photography go viral.
Bird photography in Sri Lanka
Bird photography was not possible
to many in this country even with the first SLR camera being introduced in the 1960
s. However it could be said without any doubt
that the father of bird photography in Sri Lanka is none other than Dr. T. S. U. de Zylva, who made bird
photography his pastime and passion. He ran a prospective medical practice in
Kurunegala, which also financed his pastime.
Restricted with the fixed focal
length lenses of the 1960 s, he published a wide range of photographs of the
birds in the wetlands of Mannar and Chilaw.
Long range camera shooting was favorable in these locations with the
extra lighting that was needed for the telephoto lens.
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| Picture courtesy - M.A. Pushpa Kumara Sunday Times |
Known as the “ge aran ena mahaththaya” meaning the person who comes
with his house. He carried his bird hides done of canvas and jute, and ventured
into the remotest countryside to photo record nesting behavior of rare birds.
It would take hours for him to install the hides elevating him to be in line
with the bird and would sit for days inside them to get his prize photo. The
only record of the very rare Broad-billed Roller nesting has still not been
recorded since his record 40 years ago. This was not the digital era then and
colour film processing was not heard of in the country. All his exposures were
on positive colour slides that was very costly and was processed outside the
country.
Dr T S U de Zylva had completed
his task of bird photography with his limited resources and equipment by the
time the DSLR came in the country in 1999. He had done much photo recording of bird
behavior then when compared to what is taking place now in the most viral way. However
it must be noted that he discontinued his habit of photographing nesting behavior
of birds when it was to be reprehended in line with the general practice of
ethical birdwatching that were to be introduced lately. The in-depth advent
into science did need the restriction of man’s intervention with breeding birds
and in divulging of habitats of critically endangered and rare birds.
Social Media and Digital Photography
the Changing Face of Birdwatching
Today the tripod carrying
birdwatcher is joined by the long lens caring bird-photographer. This decade
has brought about a significant change in the world of birdwatching and its
effects are felt even in Sri Lanka.
Birding as it is preferred to be
called today adding the auditory factor in identifying them is the art of
locating birds and identifying them and listed for science and reference. A
pastime developed over 50 years ago, and it is questionable if it is practiced
the same way today.
Much has been the concern on the
ever increasing bird-photographer in relation to birding in the western world,
and it has come under research. It is time that a study is undertaken to
identify and analyze the Sri Lankan bird photographer in relation to birding
and to take the best use of his input in to the science of ornithology in the
country.
The two basic questions that any
old school birder would have for the new class of birder cum bird-photographer
would be….
- Were you a birder first? or a photographer first?
- What do you do with these photographs?
Based on research done in the
west which is applicable to this country as well it is noted that there are six
types of photographers that have been identified of the lot that mingle with
birdwatching.
- The first is the photo-identification type. A digital photograph is a very a valuable source of information for identification and would aid in learning new avifauna by developing analytical comparisons in identifying juveniles in groups of shore birds etc. Therefore many a birder today is equipped with a Digi-scope. An adapter camera that could be fitted to a spotting scope. Even a poor quality picture would give much information, compared to a field sketch in terms of identification and evidence of justification on a sighting.
- The second is the photo-listing type. This is the replicate of a Twitcher. One who would travel a long distances to see a rare bird that would then be ticked or accounted on a list. There are those who now list birds in photographs and it is noted that most of the British twitchers have started all over again to list them in a photo list. Photo-listing a country list takes a long time unlike a visual list. However, many photo listers are new to bird-watching and have embraced the practice of listing because it gives them an opportunity for photography as a pastime.
- The third bird-photography practice is a photo-collector. More like in to butterfly collecting. These are the type that keep collecting quality collections of birds in different plumages and unique behaviour of species in courtship etc. Just as the butterfly collector who kept on collecting the same species to replace the old one for colour fading etc. This type would keep collecting photos of the same species every time one is encountered.
- Amateur bird photographer is the fourth type. Amateur photographers are people striving to perfect the practice of picture taking. Many people with an interest in photography are getting into birds because birds occur everywhere and the photographing equipment is affordable. The Web is full of inspiring photographs for the armature to take as samples. As many birds are photogenic, one can practice the art of composition, pose and lighting by experimenting with them.
- The fifth is the trophy-hunter type. This is a dangerous type. A variant of the armature but is for taking impressive photos of iconic species. A diving kingfisher, a sea eagle catching a large fish while on flight. He would pay anything for a hide on a classic species. Would even lure bird to preferred background by baiting. Such bird-photographers are aggressive and would appear in locations by force.
- The sixth is perhaps the most intriguing, the photo hunter. These are the ones who adorn in camouflage gear and travel around the country photographing birds with top of the range photography kits. Ask them what they do with the photos they would response as Nothing. When a memory card is full they just buy another. This is the hunting instinct of these photo-hunters, who would be satisfied with tracking down their quest and getting the shot.
Getting too close to birds either to watch or to photograph is never encouraged. This owl is stressed by disturbing its day roost. It is sad to note that this is happening in Sinharaja very often now mainly due to photography and guaranteed sightings .
Enhancement through Social Media
Photography is the key ingredient
to the design and development of social media. Facebook and photo sharing
platforms like Flickr are essential to this pastime. They have turned out to be
storehouses in sharing and discussing and even showing off ones photos. They
buildup friendship and grouping for broadening the appeal for bird
photographing and bird watching. Thus the social media would respond better,
contributing with photos that add value significantly to the visual appeal of
many of the blogs on birding.
Looking Ahead
The number of bird-photographers
is rising steadily and will continue throughout. However over the decades
birders have developed a strong voluntary code of conduct that govern their
behaviour particularly in relation to disturbing birds. The need to keep secret
the location of rare breeding birds. The need to respect the rights and privacy
of landowners etc. But the new entrant bird-photographers are unaware of these
informal rules and understandably want to get close to the bird for a close up shot.
This is leading to some ill feeling between the old birder and the new
bird-photographer. There needs to be better relationship between birders and
bird-photographers in getting in the same wavelength on such matters concerned.
Concerns of Science
One dimension that seems missing in
bird-photography is the link with science. As discussed, Birdwatching is
related to the science of ornithology. The approach to identifying a bird
species in the field is according to a scientific method. The birding
generations across the world did go in search of new species but also fed their
observations back to BirdLife International who in return used their knowledge
to assess the extinction risk of bird species. This was an accomplishment that
contributed immensely to the effectiveness of the international conservation
policy.
However Bird-photographers should
also be able to submit their observations to the science of conservation. But it
is questionable as to whether even a little thought has been given to the
scientific usage of these valuable ‘digital bird specimens’ that are retained
in social websites and in personal computers the world over.
The author was present at Fort Kearney State Park Nebraska to watch Sandhill Cranes roost on its back migration to Alaska. Over 200 birders and photographers came on this bridge almost 2 hours before the birds, to watch this event that is possible for a limited period every March.........it was amazing to see everybody talking in hush voices through self-discipline and abiding by the restrictions laid down by the park..........Note the signage on the bridge is again for the occasional eccentric birder and the photographer....
The Local Bird Photographer
Based on the above cross section
of bird photographers the number of locals that fall in to the first two groups
are a few of the professional bird guides and a few other who have stared as
birdwatchers and who has had a knack for the outdoors and engage in photography
as a hobby as well. The much preferred piece of equipment of these two groups
would be the camera attached digi-scope as the unit could be used either way.
However the second category, the
twitching type seem to override the first and is not encouraged at all. It is
noted that the trend of rushing and amassing to rare bird sightings is taking
place in a very disturbing and ad-hock manner by them. This was seen when a
Forest Eagle Owl nesting at Singaraja was posted in social media, which should
not have been permitted in that page. These twicher type photographer flooded
the vicinity to such an extent that the adults almost abandoned the nest. It is
general ethics that nest sites should not be photographed and more over its
location divulged, in the case of rare and important birds. This is a clear
indication of ignorance of bird knowledge and their behavior by the bird-photographer.
This same behavior was also seen
when a very unusual winter visitor, a Blue and White Flycatcher did appear in Sinharaja and was posted in social media.
Twitching or going after birds is
therefore not encouraged though it is the most commonly happening practice all
over. The impact of it is to be seen in the very delicate habitats as Sinharaja
and other such rainforests where endemism is high. Almost all the identified
day roosts of the Endemic Owls and the Frogmouth are on barren ground with no undergrowth,
devoid of vegetation due to so much foot traffic as almost everyone visiting is
with a camera and are guided for photography with hardly any scientific
interpretation of the forest explained to the visitor by the so called forest
guides.
The amateur photographer is the
one that should be taken care of in molding them to blend with the scientific
knowledge of birdwatching. It is noted that this lot is increasing in a very
high speed as many of the young today are attracted to social media websites
and get attracted to bird photography. They keep on stuffing the web pages with
bird photos with no account of location where the bird was seen or dates etc.
This is the type that needs to be educated and made aware of the importance of
birds and the need for its conservation linked with ornithology.
The trophy hunter and the photo
hunter in this country is not that very much active I feel but there are cases
where unethical practices in luring rare birds by baiting taking place around
the rainforest areas for photographers. A locality around Sinharaja is known to
lure the Sri Lanka Spur Fowl in this manner.
The author has had his own
experience once being a member of a birding group in Mannar.
It was so intriguing to see the photographers waiting patiently till everyone else
had had a view of a flock of Flamingo in the saltern through viewing aids. Then
the question was asked, have everyone had enough seeing the Flamingos? And they started to stalk up to the birds. But the birds seeing them approach did
push away from them, leaving the rich feeding ground. One would say this is
fair by the birdwatcher …….but it is also a clear indication that the
photographer not respecting the welfare of the bird which should be the priority.
It is time that the birding
organizations in the country think about this in a very serious way and draw up
a set of guidelines in par with those for the birdwatcher in relation to the
photographer. For it is no point in brushing aside them to be different
to the birdwatcher. The impact that the digital lens has against conventional
birdwatching is immense and mighty.
However the administrators
managing these social websites has a very big responsibility on them in allowing these postings on the web. They need to familiarize themselves with the
internationally accepted guidelines on publishing of bird information in the media.
Should nesting behavior be it photographic or video be allowed on the web? Should
locations and habitats of rare migrants and critically endangered species be divulged
in the web? This is food for thought and to be researched in this country now.
Finally it could be concluded in
saying thus, birdwatching has come a long way, from killing them for their skins
for the specimen collector………. to observing them with purpose built optical
instruments for leisure…….and now back
again to the hunting era, shooting them with digital cameras?
Some noteworthy incidents of
Bird-photography in the Local Social Media
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| Picture courtesy - Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka - Public Group Facebook |
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| Picture courtesy - Enoka Priyadarshani Kudavidanage, Facebook page |
This is an example of a case where the picture of the bird on the
left [Grey-bellied Cuckoo] was posted in social media identified as the bird on
the right [Juvenile Sirkeer Malkoha]. The posting said the bird was so
identified by two of Sri Lanka’s most eminent personalities on birds which did
embarrass them two and other birders as well. The author did get in touch with
the person concerned and managed to resolve the matter by posting these two
pictures explaining the mix up.
But it is sad to note that the person concerned, also a
very proficient conservationist said goodbye to his habit of birding as a
result. However this again is a classic example of trying to identify birds
through photographs only. Even though today’s photography is of very high
digital technology, it has its own flaws with the equipment not in its proper
settings. Both these photos seem to enhance more on the bluish grey. The
otherwise brown coloration of the Sirkeer on the right is shown to be in a
bluish tint of grey. This is why field notes are as important in identification
even with the highest photographic technology possible.
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Picture courtesy - Srilal Miththapala |
Efforts in make best use of
Bird-photography with Birdwatching
People have been looking at the
aspect of combining birdwatching with bird-photography to make the best use of
the millions of photographs that are available with individuals and in web
sites.
The Merlin Bird Identification Application developed by the Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology is a very versatile software application which is
available free to be downloaded from the internet and most App stores.
Currently it is done for all birds in North America including Canada and part
of the northern most islands in the region and is being extended to the Mexico
region as well.
It is a blend of the science of
bird identification techniques used with bird photographs as in a photographic guide
to the bird in the region.
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| Picture courtesy - merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/ |
All this data fed into the app, it
would give a series of bird pictures that would qualify your bird with the name
both scientific and general. One could now identify you unknown bird while you
see the bird and a picture of it in your Smart Phone to compare with. However
this App has out done the need to carry a bird guide and one is with your bird
at the touch of a finger.
It’s time that such versatile
means to blend science with photography bringing about a good and healthy relationship
within the birding community.
The general Guidelines on ethical bird-watching that needs to be applied to the photographer as well
Promote the welfare of birds
and their environment
• Support the protection of birds
and their habitat
• Avoid stressing birds or
exposing them to danger
• Avoid using methods such as
flushing, spotlighting and call playback, particularly during nesting season
when birds may be called off incubation duties, or even abandon the nest
altogether
• Be aware of the impact
photography can have on birds - avoid lingering around nests or core
territories for long periods and limit the use of artificial light
• Avoid handling birds
• Report rare bird sightings to
conservation authorities and consider the well-being of the bird before making
this knowledge more publicly available
• Stay on roads, trails, and
paths where they exist- avoid leaving litter along a birding trail and
otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum
Respect the law and the rights
of others
• Do not enter private property
without the owner’s explicit permission
• Follow all laws, rules, and
regulations governing use of roads and public areas
• Consider and respect the rights
of landholders
• Practice common courtesy in
interactions with other people
Group Birding Ethics
• Lead by example and know your
audience – encourage others to employ ethical birding practices
• Report bird sightings – all
data are useful to bird conservation and wherever possible, should be reported
to ornithological databases in the country example Universities, Natural
History Museums, etc. [in Sri Lanka, FOGSL ]
• Impart knowledge – share what
you know about birds and their habitats
• Get involved – encourage
birders to engage local communities and get involved in conservation
initiatives at their favourite birding locations
• Consider the birds – always put
the health and wellbeing of birds first- consider the impact you as an
individual and the group are having on birds and their environment
Note
The views expressed here are limited to those of the author
and should not be interpreted as those of the Field Ornithology
Group of Sri Lanka or any such organization for birds.