eling

Shame to witness somebody dressed like a wildlife photographer using a very strong flash on the crested grebe in Tsim Bei Tsui today.  

He was so close to the crested grebe and i can see no reason why he needed to flash again & again, more than 10 times, on this bird.  The next scene was the bird was so scared that it dived into the water & I did not see it again.  

I recognised this was the same person I met in early Jan 07 in Long Valley when he was suddenly shouting to his friend and doing some awkward gesture trying to scare the Bluethroat away from the field when he noticed that I was approaching.  Obviously he was stupidly trying to scare the Bluethroat away so that nobody can take any pictures.  I can see no reason why for doing such destructive behaviour other than selfish and irresponsible motives.




今日係尖鼻咀見到個自私自利嘅男人對住隻鳳頭鸊鷉狂閃，足足閃咗10幾吓，係近距離果隻，終於嚇到隻鳳頭鸊鷉潛咗入水，跟住就失踪咗。其他靜靜地等隻雀游過黎嘅人結果眼白白咁睇住隻雀被嚇走咗。

後來睇真D呢個人個樣，赫然發覺此人正是我今年1月初在塱原見過佢，當時佢見我逐漸走近隻藍點頦嘅所在地，佢突然同個朋友大叫及做出大動作，意圖嚇走隻雀，令到其他人睇唔到影唔到，此人的劣行實在令人齒冷。希望有人如果認識呢個人，話比佢聽唔好再做D損人不利己嘅野。

eling

Sorry that i couldn't stop this man from repeatedly flashing the bird  because i distanced myself from the bird and the man hoping not to cause any disturbance to anyone.  I know what to do next time.   

And it is very sorry to see the disappointed faces of the HKBWS's outing group.

eling

sorry frankie, i thought you've got the timing wrongly.  we approached the pond slowly and stopped intermittently when we got into the vicinity of the pond in question.  we were long away from the bird because we saw this man photographing the bird.  

if you DID really notice us instead of focusing on the bird through your lens, we were sat behind the short grass and tried to hide ourselves.  IT WAS THEN the bird swan to the corner (swam towards our side) and performed magical dance happily.  we were able to see the bird swimming happily, through our binoculars, for a few minutes on that corner.  THROUGHOUT THE WHILE PERIOD, WE DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL.  Then the bird swam closer to the man in question and this guy started flashing over and over again.  At first, he was hiding from the short grass and when the bird got closer to him, he stood up and tried to get a better angle.  IT WAS AFTER a series of flashes the bird disappeared.  We watched from a distance and couldn't find the bird, THEN I GOT UP and went to the direction of that man and asked him where is the bird.  He blithely told me "I don't know, it should be there" and pointed his finger to the next pond.  He left the scene.  

Regarding your information about the bird was scared by the  large group of people (the HKBWS's outing group) as they were approaching to this pond.  I must say that the whole group was still walkiing TWO ponds away from this one.   They were more than 200 meters away from this pond.

I put up this matter in this forum not because i couldn't take the photo of this bird but i was furious that this man flashing over and over again on it and the flash, from my standard, is VERY STRONG.  Imagine if somebody flashing on you over and over again, could you barely open your eyes?   Just think.  I'm not sure if the bird could stand it.  I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANY BAD IMPACT ON THE BIRD & IT SHOULD BE LEFT WITH THE EXPERT.  

PS: the picture I've posted here is cropped.  I was using my 300mm lens to take this picture.   I just want everybody know how far I was away from the bird.

eling

If I remembered correctly, there were two cars driven onto the area of the ponds.  Your car (the one in pink colour?) stopped about 3 ponds away from the pond in question.  I did see both of you loaded your gears from your car and was looking for the bird in other ponds.  

Both of you did stay on the other pond for a few minutes and it was later you went to the pond in question (probably you noticed somebody was there).  You then set up your gear on that pond but on the other corner.  You were about there for about 5 miinutes then we entered into the vicinity of the pond.  The rest of the story I'm not sure if you've got the time and everything correctly.  

If the bird was really driven away by us, how could we see it dancing happily on our side for a few minutes?  

You said you had wasted the whole morning there, that's I do not know.  AS FAR AS I CAN SEE, from the time you loaded your gears from your car and approached the pond in question and afterall you left the scene with your car.  It was no more than 30 minutes.  

Probably you may not know we were watching from a distance !