Effects of flash photography on owls. - photo.net
"I heard from a well known bird photographer (name withheld for the
protection of the guilty) that they set up some flash units to
photograph an owl returning to its roost in a church spire. The
bird tripped the infra-red beam on approach and the photographer
got one of those shots to die for. The owl had its wings fully extended,
exposure and focus were perfect. But the owl crashed into the stonework at
some considerable speed and fell to the ground badly injuring itself.
Obviously the flash dazzled and/or frightened the bird to the point that
it could no longer see well enough and/or was too jittery to land
safely."
I agree with you Senna. If taking wildlife picture it's ethical to NOT disturb them in any way, in any way that could get their attention, and this includes flash. I don't know why it's even a 'debate'. We should agree just not to do it at all.