BIOphoto

Migration represents one of the most complex and fascinating behaviors
in nature. Simply defined, migration is the repeated movement of
individuals from one region to another, and can occur over daily, seasonal,
and annual time-frames. Migrations can occur over tens of thousand of
kilometers, as in the case of the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) moving
essentially from pole to pole (Hatch 2002), or it can simply involve
movements over distances as small as meters, as is the case of phantom
midge larvae (Chaoborus spp.) moving from lake benthos during the day
to the open water at night (Roth 1968). Migratory behavior has enormous
taxonomic breadth including species of anadromous fish that leave natal
rivers to spend several years at sea eventually returning to the same river
to spawn and die (Hodgson and Quinn 2002), to the annual migrations
of black rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta) from winter hibernacula to summer
breeding and foraging areas (Blouin-Demers and Weatherhead 2002),
to the spectacular seasonal movements of long-distance migratory birds
between temperate breeding and tropical winter environments (e.g., Keast
and Morton 1980; Hagan and Johnston 1992). Movements such as these,
by such taxonomically diverse groups of organisms, define migratory
behavior and motivate the need to understand how these movements
interact with and are modified by the physical structure of their
environment.

Wildlife photography is regarded as one of the more challenging forms of photography. As well as needing sound technical skills, such as being able to expose correctly, wildlife photographers generally need good field craft skills. For example, some animals are difficult to approach and thus a knowledge of the animal's behavior is needed in order to be able to predict their actions. Photographing some species may require stalking skills or the use of a hide/blind for concealment.