Monday, May 25, 2015

City Escapes Nature Photography Newsletter - June 2015

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

 

 

Newsletter

May / June, 2015

 

 

Thanks For Visiting Us at the Olive and Grape in Greenwood!

For the largest of the Phinney and Greenwood Art Walks, City Escapes Nature Photography paired up with the Olive and Grape, a lovely Mediterranean restaurant in Greenwood, to give you great art and great food simultaneously!  We have a number of our large prints displayed on the walls, where you can see them until May 28th, and Jodi was on hand Friday, May 8, between 6 and 9 pm, for the official celebration. 

Thanks for all of you who showed up and helped make this event a great success!

 

How Oil Spills Affect Birds

 

Lately it seems that more and more oil spills are making the news, especially from the derailment of trains carrying oil tankers.  While none have been as dramatic as the Deepwater Horizon or Exxon Valdez spills, all nonetheless have a profound impact on the flora and fauna they touch.  A few months ago, I was witness to the cleaning and rehabilitation of some ducks that had been covered – drenched, more accurately – in a tar spill, and I realized that although I know that oil and other spills create dire situations for wildlife, I knew almost nothing about the actual manner in which harm is done.  Here is a taste of what I learned.  Though it is by no means a comprehensive list of the dangers that oil spills pose to birds, it is at least a primer.

 

Oil (tar, diesel, etc.) has so many deleterious effects on birds it is difficult to know where to begin.  One of the most obvious effects is on the birds' feathers.  These amazing little marvels of natural engineering do so much more than enable a bird to fly; they provide waterproofing, regulate body temperature, provide buoyancy for waterfowl, transport water back to nestlings … I could go on and on.  Oil causes the individual fibers in feathers to separate, clump, and mat.  This releases the air trapped in the downy parts of the feathers next to the birds' bodies, which in turn makes the birds' body temperature plummet, and keeps the bird from being able to regulate it on their own.  (Tar, incidentally, can make the birds' temperature soar, as it creates a very sticky, solid matting that does not allow any heat to escape.)  This, in and of itself, is enough to kill a bird under the right circumstances.  But wait; there's more.

 

Due to the same matting and separation of the feather fibers, oil also damages a bird's waterproofing.  This waterproofing is created by the precise alignment of the individual parts of the feathers, which have tiny barbs on the ends of each fiber that hook together in a manner reminiscent of Velcro.  The waterproofing is assisted by a layer of natural oil that the bird itself makes and distributes over its feathers during preening.  No waterproofing means greater susceptibility to the elements.  Imagine being in a terrible, cold rainstorm with no coat and no warm house to come into and dry off in afterward, and you get an idea of why this is bad. 

 

Oil can also cause chemical burns on the delicate skin and eyes of birds, which can lead to a whole host of additional problems.  Keep in mind that birds and other wildlife are usually covered over large portions of their bodies by these spills, and therefore risk having a significant percentage of their skin burned.  Shock can set in, which is just as dangerous for animals as it is for humans. 

 

Birds may try to clean the oil off of their feathers by preening, or eat oiled foods (or foods that have themselves eaten oiled foods).  This results in the ingestion of oil, which can wreak havoc on the birds' internal organs.  Lesions; ulcers; liver, kidney, and lung damage; intestinal poisoning… The list of deleterious effects is quite long.

 

Tar has a few more effects that I had not initially considered, but that are worth mentioning here.  For one, it is heavy.  A tar-coated bird must expend significantly greater amounts of energy to simply expand its chest cavity enough to breathe.  It may not have sufficient strength to do so.  If the bird's head and neck are coated, it may not be able to lift its head.  To add an even greater challenge, tar will begin to harden after a while, making breathing that much more difficult.  Tar is also ridiculously sticky.  Even if the bird has no problem expanding its chest cavity, the tar can seal a bird's beak and nostrils shut, also resulting in a terrible, suffocating death.  Tar is more difficult to remove than oil, as well.  But as our beautiful, happily back in their natural habitat ducks proved, it can be done.

 

Now that you are thoroughly depressed, is there any good news?  Yes – many birds can be helped.  The best way to help them, of course, is to prevent oil spills in the first place.  That, however, is a topic for another day and another place.  Depending upon the size of the spill, many birds will likely succumb to the dangers, but a good number can be saved with the right rescue teams in place and a quick response.  Teams trained in how to clean birds, minimize the effects of ingested oil, and properly care for the animals through their rehabilitation can work true wonders.  Meanwhile, other teams are needed to repair and restore damaged habitat, so that the birds have a safe place to return to once their rehab is complete.  If you are interested in learning how to help birds, contact your local wildlife hospital or other organization dedicated to the welfare of our feathered friends.  You can provide assistance in many forms, from direct financial donations to volunteering to assisting with advertising and fundraising.  Seeing a newly-clean and healthy bird waddle its way back to the outdoors is a tremendously satisfying reward for your efforts.

 

 

 

Fun Facts

 

As mentioned above, feathers do so much more than help a bird to fly.  We all know that they can also attract a mate or provide camouflage.  But did you know about these lesser-known functions of some types of feathers?

 

·         Feathers can help some bird species escape being the main entrée on a predator's dinner plate.  In a process known as a "fright molt," some birds can lose a number of tail feathers when threatened or severely frightened.  The predator, instead of a lovely dinner, is left with only a mouthful of feathers.

·         Parent birds soak their belly feathers in water as a means of transporting the wet stuff back to their nest.  They can then give their young ones a drink, or moisten their eggs to prevent them from drying out.

·         It is thought that dark-colored feathers might provide a natural SPF for birds' sensitive skin.

·         Ever thought of feathers as snowshoes?  In winter, the feet of grouse are covered in feathers.  This increases their surface area, and allows the bird to walk on top of snow instead of sinking into it. 

·         Birds carry their own sun shades in the form of their feathers.  On bright, sunny days some birds, such as herons, will cover their heads with their wings while fishing to enable them to see into the water better, while others, such as osprey, will spread their wings above their eggs and chicks to keep them cool.

·         When people eat fish, we have to be careful of the small, sharp bones.  If we ingest them, they can cause quite the intestinal issues.  What do you do if you are a bird that eats fish whole?  Why, you eat your own feathers, of course!  These feathers then line the digestive tract and protect the bird from those damaging bones.

 

 

Many thanks to Arizona State University for this month's Fun Facts!

 

 

If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com

 

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CITY ESCAPES Nature Photography, LLC

www.cityescapesphotography.com

774-277-9682

 

 

Sunday, March 15, 2015

City Escapes Nature Photography Newsletter - Mar 2015

 

CITY ESCAPES

Nature Photography, LLC

 

 

Newsletter

March / April, 2015

 

 

They're So Darn Cute!

 

The weather is warming, the trees are in bloom, and the allergies are kicking in.  (If you're in the Northeast and are still buried in snow, hang in there – spring is coming!  It may be coming slowly, but it is coming…)  With these changes come critters guaranteed to elicit a few "awwwws" among wildlife lovers: baby animals.  Who amongst us does not love to watch the miniature versions of their more majestic elders romping and playing, learning to fly, or following along obediently behind mom?  And what wildlife photographer would not love to capture in-camera a few of the more precious moments?  Like any wild animal, though, wild babies must be respected as the untamed creatures they are. 

 

The temptation to get right up to a wild baby to get a good photograph is often strong, but is never a good idea, either for you or the baby.  Where there is a youngster, mom is sure to be close, even if you can't see her – and if she isn't, you can bet dad or an aunt is.  Regardless of the species of animal, rest assured that the adults can hurt you, and will often try to while defending their offspring against the threat that your presence poses.  Even setting aside the larger, more obviously dangerous animals, you should not consider yourself immune from attack.  Anyone who has ever been dive-bombed by a bird can attest to how unnerving that experience is – especially if you get a set of talons upside your head.  Even if mom doesn't attack, baby might.  What the little ones lack in jaw strength, they often make up for in super-sharp teeth and beaks.  Even innocuous-seeming animals like ducklings can do a number on your fingers: depending on the species, they may have serrations or even a nail-like protuberance on their bills.  And just remember those sharp front teeth when you are thinking of sneaking up to a baby squirrel or rabbit.  Even little baby bites hurt.  (This is one of the reasons why, whenever you do handle a baby animal, such as replacing a fallen baby bird back into its nest, you should always wear gloves.)

 

The dangers to the babies of you getting too close while photographing them are many.  Your presence may cause fear and anxiety to swell in baby animals.  Their heart rates and stress levels may skyrocket, though they may barely be able to move on their own yet.  In some species, it is actually possible for them to die of fear.  Panic can lead to more tangible dangers, too: automobiles in a road the youngster just darted into, the panes of a window it hit while trying to fly away from you.  Assuming the absolute best of all scenarios, in which you are not attacked and the baby is not stressed by your presence, there is nonetheless a major issue to consider: many wild parents will not return to their offspring when people or domestic pets are near.  Newborns of all species need to be kept warm and fed frequently, and even older offspring depend upon the nourishment and protection their parents provide, though the feedings may be less frequent.  Keeping the parent(s) away from a wild baby is a sure-fire way to injure it.   

 

So how do you get that great, detailed shot?  In short: telephoto lenses.  I consider telephoto lenses among the most important pieces of my gear, because they allow me to get up-close and personal without interfering with the natural rhythm and order of things.  The animals are safe from me, and I am safe from them.  Whether I am a hundred yards away from a lion or twenty feet from a robin's nest, telephoto lenses allow me to observe the lives of animals without disturbing them.  Am I telling you to go out and buy an expensive camera body and an even more expensive lens to go with it?  Not at all.  I am telling you, however, to make use of your camera's built-in zooming capabilities, which roughly mimic the effects of telephoto lenses.  Even smart-phone cameras can zoom now.  Give the youngsters plenty of room, use that zoom, and of course, keep a sharp eye out for mom.  One of the best rewards for shooting this way instead of getting right up next to the babies is that you will often have the chance to capture images of mom and babies interacting.  As in all wildlife photography, if your presence is causing the babies or their parents to change their behavior, you are too close.

 

Unless you are hiking in bear country and trying to keep from surprising one of the bruins, you should also be quiet when photographing wildlife, whether adult or young.  Many animals can hear very well, and trust me, you are not a natural sound.  Do not talk to the animal or make sounds at it in an attempt to get it to look your way.  Human voices will put most animals on alert.  So, too, will many "human" scents: perfumes, aftershaves, even scented laundry detergents can cause distress in wild animals.  The human sense of smell is practically non-existent compared to most of the animal kingdom, so don't assume that just because it's a light scent, it won't affect the critters.  Both sounds and smells can add to the animals' stress levels, further contributing to the dangers described above. 

 

Um, Where's Mom?

You've kept your distance, been quiet, and not worn anything scented.  Your reward is some wonderful images of the youngsters.  Throughout, you have watched and waited for mom to return, but she hasn't.  You begin to wonder if the babies have been abandoned.  After all, it's been at least an hour…

 

It is very common, when humans find baby animals without a parent near, for us to assume that the little ones have been abandoned or that the parent(s) have been killed.  Our own protective instinct kicks in, and we want to help them.  After all, we can't just leave them, can we?  Yes.  We can, and we usually should: very much more frequently than not, the babies have not been abandoned, and they are just fine.  They may be chirping, squawking, grunting, or whining, but just like human infants and toddlers making their myriad coos and whines, these sounds do not mean that the animals are in any danger.  As for the parents, we seem to forget that they need to eat, and that they need to gather food for their offspring.  Lacking grocery stores, this can take a while.  It is also imperative when their little ones are still quite small that the adults handle the shopping on their own, without kids in tow.  There is often another critter around who would love to put the youngsters on its own shopping list if they were to come into the open.  So off the parent goes, in search of nourishment.  The hardest thing for us humans to wrap our heads around may be the length of time that some species leave their offspring while on a snack run.  Seals, for example, may leave their pups ashore for up to 48 hours before returning to feed them, while sea lions may be away for 72 hours.  It breaks our hearts to hear the whining and crying of the little ones, and we feel we simply must do something.  This is the natural rhythm of these species, though, and we underestimate the damage we can do in our naïveté.  Imagine you lay your own little one down for a nap, then go to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat.  When you return, your baby is gone, snatched away because someone thought it was abandoned. 

 

It can be very hard for some of us to control our natural care-giving instincts.  Especially if the baby is somewhere you can keep an eye on it for awhile, though, and it is safe from domestic dogs and cats, the best thing you can do is often to wait and watch, educating yourself about the habits of the species in the meantime.  You will then be able to make a much better judgment about when to interfere.  Contacting a wildlife rehabilitation center is a great way to get guidance.  Trained personnel can help you decide what, if anything, should be done.  You can find a wildlife rehabilitation center in your area by contacting the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association at www.nwrawildlife.org or calling your local animal control.

 

 

 

Fun Facts

 

You know that a kitten is a baby cat, but did you know that it could also be a baby skunk?  A calf is of course a baby cow – or maybe a baby manatee.  Perhaps even a baby hippopotamus.  Here is a small sampling of how the names of the young of diverse species can overlap.  Just to keep it interesting, some species have multiple names for their young (because English isn't complicated enough).

 

Baby Name              Species

Poult                     Grouse, ptarmigans, turkeys           

Whelp                    Otters, wolves, coyotes, tigers

Infant                     Gorillas, monkeys, baboons, orangutans, lemurs

Joey                      Wombats, koalas, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, opossums, wallabies

Kit                         Ferrets, foxes, badgers, mongoose, beavers, muskrats, servals, weasels, woodchucks

Cub                       Lions, cheetahs, leopards, bears, aardvarks, woodchucks,  badgers, foxes, hyenas, jaguars, tigers, walruses, bobcats, lynx, raccoons

Pup                       Deep breath: Wolves, foxes, prairie dogs, sharks, otters, gerbils, beavers, walruses, sea lions, moles, armadillos, guinea pigs, seals, raccoons, hedgehogs, meerkats, groundhogs, skunks, coyotes, bats, dolphins, anteaters …

 

 

 

If you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletters, please email us at: relationships@cityescapesphotography.com

 

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CITY ESCAPES Nature Photography, LLC

www.cityescapesphotography.com

774-277-9682