Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia floridana)

Canon 300/f4L + 1.4 TC

-- Michael Cheetham (cheetham@nas.edu), June 28, 2000

Answers

That fence isn't the hand of man is it. Looks a little soft but then the scan is bad. Otherwise don't mind it

-- Keith Anderson (andos@pacific.net.au), June 29, 2000.

well caught, the guidelines do say that a barn owl in a barn is OK!!

-- Chris Ross (chrisx2@loxinfo.co.th), June 29, 2000.

This "hand of man" nonesense can become a bit obsessive at times.

Many wild animals have adapted remarkably to human intrusion, into their environment, to the extent that some human artifacts are now an integral part of the animal's adopted environment...Hawks on telephone poles looking for a meal, owls on fence posts, swallow nests under freeway overpasses, and raccoons climbing out of garbage cans.

I think we need either to be moderately flexible on the "hand of man" issue, or set up a subsection of this site devoted to "animal adaptation to human intrusion."

That's a truly fantastic photo even with the dreaded fence post!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), July 04, 2000.

I was stating that as more of a joke than a putdown on the hand of man subject. Personally I think soe of the rules are wrong as you stated so many animals are adapted to living in the city and such. I have many shots of wild animals with this so called rule involved so I haven't posted them. I think a rule change would be rather good

-- Keith Anderson (andos@pacific.net.au), July 04, 2000.

Keith...I know it was a joke, but it can become an obsession to some...a bit of flexibity is in order, and I think most here are tolerant of a fence post or such now and then.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), July 04, 2000.

One other item of burrowing owl trivia: in the marshlands and coastal meadows of the San Francisco Bay Area, the huge San Francisco National Wildlife Refuge, of the south bay region, has actually placed wooden T posts in the marshes and meadows for the burrowing owls to perch to look for prey. If I were to photograph that, would that be considered the hand of man since these posts are designed by ecological scientists to aid the owl find food in an area being rapidly overrun by housing developments? Incidently, in our area, the Audubon Society, as well as other groups, has almost totally given up trying to save these owls here...there is so much greedy development that bulldozers are daily flattening the fields where this owl nests...and these are wealthy developers who have the money and power to fight ecological interests. Next week I will post a burrowing owl image I took in the 1980's in an area of San Jose CA which has now been literally flattened for up-scale housing development by a Hong Kong firm that has absolutely no interest in the ecological preservation of our region's natural resources...ok Todd, off the soapbox!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), July 05, 2000.

Here is a link to the PSA nature definition which gives the exception to the prohibition of evidence of man in a nature image. Note the exception applies only to wildlife images (not landscapes images) and the wildlife image must meet both prongs of the test (1)enhance the nature story and (2) be consistent with the definition of "authentic wildlife." I hope this link helps to answer some of the questions raised here. http://www.psa-photo.org/nddef2.htm

-- Chris Varner (Johnny_Pinto@msn.com), July 15, 2000.