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Carmine Bee-eater


Carmine Bee-eater
Photo Information
Copyright: Mike Rolfe (fiftysomething) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 45 W: 3 N: 141] (657)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-04
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 30D, Canon EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM, 77mm UV
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Final Version, Original Version
Theme(s): Favorite BeeEaters, Birds of South Africa 3 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-10 0:09
Viewed: 985
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I have reduced the noise in the BG and hope this version is better.
This is another shot I took in the Kruger Park of the most beautiful bird.
The Southern Carmine Bee-eater (Merops nubicoides) (formerly Carmine Bee-eater) occurs across sub-equatorial Africa, ranging from Zululand and Namibia to Gabon, eastern Zaire and Kenya.

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured,striking bird, predominantly carmine in colouration, but with the crown and undertail coverts blue.

Its usual habitat included low-altitude river valleys and floodplains, preferring vertical banks suitable for tunneling when breeding. This is a highly sociable species, gathering in large flocks, in or out of breeding season. They roost communally in trees or reedbeds, and disperse widely during the day. Nesting is at the end of a 1-2m long burrow in an earthen bank, where the lay from 2-5 eggs.

This is migratory species, spending the breeding season, between August and November, in Zimbabwe, before moving south to South Africa for the summer months, and the migrating to equatorial Africa from March to August.

Their diet is made up primarily of bees and other flying insects, and their major hunting strategy involves hawking flying insects from perch. Perches may include branches of vegetation or even the backs of large animals, such as the Kori Bustard. They are attracted to wildfires because of the flushed insects, and are often seen circling high in the air.
anel, vanderschelden has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To kebapci: Bee-eaterfiftysomething 2 03-11 07:05
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Mike
Very pretty colors, a beautiful composition
Ferran

  • Great 
  • Tabib Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 147 W: 5 N: 151] (720)
  • [2008-03-10 0:53]

Hello Mike,

Lovely red Bee-eater, never seen here.
Sharp and good compo.
TFS,
/Redzlan/.

Hi Mike
Very nice capture
Beautiful color
Much better BG
Great catchlite in eye
tfs jon

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1731 W: 0 N: 3942] (15822)
  • [2008-03-10 3:42]

hello Mike,
Very colourful and beautifully composed picture. Very elegant pose, beautiful background. I must say that these Bee-eaters are really beautiful birds. Thanks for this eye-catching picture
Anne

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2269 W: 10 N: 2650] (15641)
  • [2008-03-10 4:22]

Hola MIke,
hermosa captura,
buen pov, bg y excelente color...
saludos

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2411 W: 94 N: 5569] (17712)
  • [2008-03-10 4:44]

Hello Mike,
Excellent photo with great contrasting colours. Very good sharpness, pose and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2233 W: 188 N: 1929] (8127)
  • [2008-03-10 6:56]

Hi Mike,
The shot is excellent, great DOF the entire bird is perfectly sharp. The colors came out excellent. Nice POV and angle looks great, the details are amazing.
Very well done.
Sky

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 451 W: 0 N: 975] (8383)
  • [2008-03-10 8:38]

Hi Mike,

I think this is one of the most beautiful bee-eaters. The colors are fabulous. You blurred the background and the bird stands out well. Great pose.

regards,
Zeno.

Hello Mike,
So it spends the breeding season in Zimbabwe and it goes subtropical in the summer.
Good pose, perch and background.
TFS
Annick

This one for sure better. I dont want to repeat how the colors look like. A splendid bird you have to hunt

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