Wildlife Photography across the Water: Keep it clean

Friday, 9 April 2010

Keep it clean

I had this through from one of readers and its very worthy of note

Something maybe people should be aware of has been flagged up in the 
Mail today for the US and UK. Might make a nice little blog. Apparently 
we should be really proud of ourselves that we bother to go out and buy 
feeders to help the bird populations but unfortunately we are not 
cleaning them regularly enough and bird baths are becoming infected 
also, it is suggested once a fortnight with water and weak bleach. There 
are signs now that species can dwindle due to two diseases that can be 
picked up from dirty feeders. It is estimated 500,000 greenfinches died 
as a result of trichomoniasis in the UK in 2007 according to BTO (one in 
5 since 2005)and in the US dirty bird feeders are fuelling an epidemic 
of an infectious eye disease called mycoplasmal conjunctivitis. It has 
wiped out 60 per cent of house finches in the Eastern US. Bird feeders 
can also house salmonella and ecoli. Don't scrap the feeders as they 
save thousands of birds lives but remove old food and clean regularly is 
the advice. Finches showing symptoms of 'trich' will have fluffed up 
plumage so stop feeding for a couple of weeks.

Dave

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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.