Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

I've been to the refuge a few times now and have had quite a nice

time walking around, but i really dont see how other people get close

enough to photograph out there. The trails are quite far from the

actual birds and i dont think you could get close enough for a

detailed shot of a bird the size of a basketball. There is one blind

which is nice to shoot in, but the pond that blind is near is quite

covered with overgrowth so it looks more like a swamp. Did i miss

something? I did not want to violate any of the rules which then

would have put you easily within photographic range of the birds. I

was wondering if some of the big bird photographers who claim it to

be a great place get special rights to get closer to the birds?

<p>

If anyone has been to the refuge i would appreciate some information

on what you thought of it.

What lens are you using. The "big" bird photographers are almost

certainly shooting with an 800/5.6 or a 600/4 with a 1.4x.

<p>

The same thing holds true for Brigantine NWR in NJ. You really

need the long lens to have a good probability of success. You <em>

can</em> get shots with shorter lenses, but you need luck on your

side!

I went to the same spot this past summer and had the same experience

and frustration as you. The rules are put there for obvious reasons:

to deter inconsiderate people who might harrass the birds and disrupt

their habitat. If you're going to go off the trail and risk being

scolded or ejected by the staff, at least get caught maintaining a

'respectable' distance. Meaning, make every effort to give the

impression and have the appearance of a responsible, consciencious

bird enthusiast. Use your good judgement and have common sense.

<p>

In other wildlife refuges without such rules, we nature photographers

have to follow an unenforced set of ethics based on the 'Honour

System' all the same.

<p>

So now, I'll admit to you that I went off the trail at Jamaica Bay,

but I did so in the manner described above. I didn't feel good about

breaking the rules but I took a calculated risk; and I'm not the only

one. To my surprise, I saw a picture of someone whom you may consider

to be a 'big bird photographer' doing exactly what I did, at almost

the identical spot in the park. It was Arthur Morris in his own 1998

book entitled "The Art of Bird Photography". The picture shows him

near a small pond with his 600mm-f/4 lens demonstrating a technique

for getting a low perspective shot of a bird. (He lays belly down

with the usually tripod-mounted lens resting in one hand while

crawling forward on his knees, for those interested.)

<p>

On the issues of rules and ethics, I do not presume to speak for Mr.

Morris or to judge him either. It was a personal decision for him,

just like it was for me. I'm confident, however, that in this

situation he was as professional, ethical, and honourable about

interacting with the animals as I would be and as everyone should be.

I have been there quite a few times and i noticed that if you had a

boat you could get 10x closer to the birds than you could if you were

onland and observing their rules. I don't want to be one of those

people that trods over important grass etc... but i think it would be

nice of them to build a few blinds or trails that you could actually

get close to the birds. I don't think that would be an unreasonable

request by photographers and bird watchers. I do not even have a

problem being charged a fee for the use of the blinds etc... it would

be more than an equitable trade.

<p>

You would need a 2000 mm lens to even get close to a nice water shot

of the birds near the shore from the distance your required to stay

from them. On another note i did however have a couple nice days going

to jones beach where there are no such regulations and the birds are

fairly tame.

<p>

Perhaps i will go and visit some other refuges or do they all require

you to be very far away from the birds?

<p>

al

<p>The trails on the West Pond are pretty restrictive, and for good

reason. The grass there is very fragile. Having people trod over it

would damage or destroy it, and subject the area to erosion. </p>

<p>The East Pond is quite accessible. During migration, it's fairly

easy to approach the juveniles on the shoreline.</p>

<p>I haven't seen Mr Morris' new book (yet), but in Bird Photography,

Pure and Simple, there's a photo of him lying in the mud with his

Canon 600 f4 (on page 44). I believe that photo was taken on the East

Pond, and if so, there were no trails to "go off of".</p>

<p>Anyway, I live about 15 minutes from Jamaica Bay, and would

certainly appreciate hearing from anyone wanting to visit the

refuge.</p>

I have been to the Jamaica Bay refuge once, mainly at the West Pond as

the East Pond was closed at that time (July, 1998). That was a

somewhat disappointing trip, and it wasn't fun fighting through

the New York traffic. Yes, Arthur Morris takes his pictures mainly at

the East Pond lying on the mud. So prepare to get really dirty there

if you want good pictures.

Al, right off Beach Channel Drive there is a boat rental shop called

Smitty's, where you can rent a small boat with a kicker for about $75

for the day (maybe half that amount without the engine). I don't know

if they are seasonal or open all year round but if you ask anyone in

the area they will know about this place. This should allow you to get

real close to some of the marshes out there in the bay as well. Good

Luck.

Since I grew up ornitholigically and photographically at JBWR and spend much too much time at phjoto.net, I am surprised that I never came across this thread before. First of all, I'd like to thank James for defending my integrity--the photos of me laying in the mud were both made at the East Pond where you are pretty much free to crawl around in the mud, muck, PCBs, and jet fuel where-ever and whenever you'd like.

Secondly, JBWR can be pretty good for bird photography at certain times of the year. The last two weeks in August can be superb for photographing juvenile shorebirds at point blank range, and late fall and most winters can be pretty good for photographing waterfowl in flight, especially Brant and including Canada and Snow Geese and many species of ducks. A brisk west wind on a sunny afternoon in late November on the WEST Pond is best for geese and ducks in flight. For more INFO, see the JBWR listing in the Hotspots appendix of my book, "The Art of Bird Photography." If you'd like to order a signed copy, visit (birdsasart.com)