Masked Lapwing [Vanellus miles]

Masked Lapwing [Vanellus miles]

They were hanging around at the Princes Park in Hobart, where the historical footprints of Charles Darwin might have been marked.

Although the photo is not in a great quality, it pleasantly reminds me the funny moment when I accidently spotted them.

This is a little better version taken with iPhone7 as well and here I can clearly see this bird's mysterious skin flap. I'm wondering whether they ever take off this mask, maybe at night? 😜

Unless using a nice camera with a zoom lens, obtaining a photo of great resolution is quite a challenge, especially one is using a cell-phone camera. However, approaching near to wild birds to get a nice photo should be discouraged cause it is against the ethical principles for birding.

Birds get stressed and lose valuable energy while being chased by potential predators. They do not know our intention (of simple observation) and presumptiously regard all the unfamilar beings as potential threats.

Including myself, many birders initially are drawn into the beauty of birds out of pure curiosity but soon we fall down to the addictive behaviour of taking photos of them. But taking stunning photos or videos are not the essence of birding but a mere byprodut, thanks to birds' generosity to allow unlimited personality right.

Photos are just photos. Afterall, we want to have nice experience in nautre and learn about the hidden stories of wonderful creatures. If you can shake off your desire to own bird photos, you can find greater joy wihout being stressed only with a simple binocular.

But if someone is serious about birding, investment on proper gears is important to maintain certain distance from birds and to keep good observational records. I'm currently experimenting with my camera (Nikon D500) and a zoom lens (70-300 mm) but I think soon an upgrade is needed.