> I have no idea if I am part of a long tradition, the way the owner talked > it's been done before, as he talked about the weight of the fat being more > than a seagull could carry and therefore would remain in place for the > eagle. The law here is getting tighter, but it depends on species (whether they are "protected" or not) and even location (reserve or not). It's a fight between two sides: 1) Bird lobby: RSPB etc who want all birds totally off limits, endangered or whatever. 2) Gun Lobby: "Countryside alliance" types who want to blow the crap out of everything that moves for a giggle. Garden birds - heck, we bait them all the time at feeders. Truly wild exotics (like the eagle) ... well, they may already be becoming reliant on road kill... which I know for a fact is where some nature photographers "source" thier natural bait. Ultimately it's down to you: do you care about nature or is getting the picture more important than anything? I suspect most if not all photos of wild raptors feeding are on baited sites. To get within 1/4 mile of a golden eagle for instance is impossible in the highlands without a hide (blind) and even then they are wary. The new way (digital) is surely to visit the local zoo and paste the bird onto the environment ;o) > The classic challenge for a photographer. Desiring an image but facing an > ethical dilemma over it, what do you do? I can't imagine asking the owner to > let me in the room or pitching a bind on his property every day for however > long to get the shot without baiting. But, I don't like the idea of baiting > this bird. Check the local laws: they differ. Baiting might sound harmless but it is (rightly) forbidden in a lot of nature reserves. Half the time to protect people: the rangers don't wan't grizzleys approaching people expecting a meal ;o) __________________________________________________________________________ Freeserve AnyTime - Go online whenever you want for just £6.99 a month for your first 3 months, that's HALF PRICE! And then it's just £13.99 a month after that. For more information visit http://www.freeserve.com/time/ or call free on 0800 970 8890
