Ethics: Arriving to the small town of Schomberg, the rare visitor was not hard to find with the constant paparazzi following him around. We first saw the northern hawk owl, nicknamed "Logito", from the road where he was perched on a nearby pole. Eyeing something in the snow, he dove and pounced before flying to a nearby tree where his catch became visible. His prey included a vole and a small field mouse, likely to be stored in a nearby cache. Once the owl flew off, we knew it was time to leave, treasuring the photos and the moments we shared with the local rarity. Northern hawk owls typically live in Canada's boreal forests where they are rarely seen. When one individual was found unusually further south in November 2019, it caught the attention of birders and photographers alike who flocked to see it. This has caused a number of controversies in regards to ethical photography. With so many people present to see the owl (over a hundred photographers on some days), it caused unneeded stress to the animal especially when said people would chase the owl around the small park. This also caused large amounts of vegetation to become trampled, problematic for the provincially significant wetland the owl made his home. There have also been accounts of people baiting the owl with pet store mice to get the "perfect" hunting photo. This can cause an association between people and food, leading to the owl to wander close to roads where it can become injured. Pet store mice also carry salmonella due to living in small cramped spaces which can easily spread to the hawk owl. When photographing wildlife its important to remember the consequences of certain actions and to prioritize the animal's well being over the image.
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