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Bubulcus ibis


Bubulcus ibis
Photo Information
Copyright: Annick Vanderschelden (vanderschelden) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2712 W: 78 N: 7405] (30145)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-16
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon 400mm 2.8 IS
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Kruger National Park
Date Submitted: 2008-11-16 4:56
Viewed: 876
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Feeding...
The Cattle Egret feeds on a wide range of prey, particularly insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, flies, and moths, as well as spiders, frogs, and earthworms. The species is usually found with cattle and other large grazing and browsing animals, and catches small creatures disturbed by the mammals. Studies have shown that Cattle Egret foraging success is much higher when foraging near a large animal than when feeding singly. When foraging with cattle, it has been shown to be 3.6 times more successful in capturing prey than when foraging alone. Its performance is similar when it follows farm machinery, but it is forced to move more.
A Cattle Egret will weakly defend the area around a grazing animal against others of the same species, but if the area is swamped by egrets it will give up and continue foraging elsewhere. Where numerous large animals are present, Cattle Egrets selectively forage around species that move at around 5–15 steps per minute, avoiding faster and slower moving herds; in Africa, Cattle Egrets selectively foraged behind Plains Zebras, Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest and Cape Buffalo. Dominant birds feed nearest to the host, and obtain more food.
The Cattle Egret may also show versatility in its diet. On islands with seabird colonies, it will prey on the eggs and chicks of terns and other seabirds. During migration it has also been reported to eat exhausted migrating landbirds. Birds of the Seychelles race also indulge in some kleptoparasitism, chasing the chicks of Sooty Terns and forcing them to disgorge food.
Source and references:
wikipedia

Location wikimapia

ISO 400

Digital darkroom: Lightroom 1.4, Camera Raw v 4.6 and Photoshop CS3.

THanks for looking...
angela926, nglen, Jamesp, crs, Evelynn, MMM, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To PeterZ: Bedankt, Petervanderschelden 2 11-16 09:03
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Annick,
Deze Koereiger staat er weer prachtig op. De belichting is erg mooi ondanks, het zo te zien, sombere weer. Super scherp en een goede diepte en compositie. Het lijkt wel of elke foto uit Kruger een voltreffer was.
Groetjes maar weer,
Peter

Hello Anick,
Good job on this one! I like the POV a lot. The exposure on the feathers and the focus are spot on. Good framing too, but for some reason I find the twig in the centre of the image a little bit distracting.
Overall, nice work!
WELL DONE!

Hello Annick,
Great capture of this cattle egret, fantasdtic
composition and pov, good placement and I like the way
he's looking to the left, beautioful colors and clarity,
the white is perfect, superb sharpness and good depth of field, great pose.
TFS
Angela

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2904 W: 34 N: 8600] (32056)
  • [2008-11-16 9:54]

Hi Annick. This is a first class picture of this elegent looking bird. I like its long neck and body lines. You have taken it with fine detail in the white plumage and a nice pose . well done TFS. inetersting notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-11-16 12:19]

Great shot of this Cattle Egret, Annick.
Very good composition.
Superb sharpness and detail.
Great composition.

Well done,
Joe

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1351 W: 0 N: 5494] (16522)
  • [2008-11-16 14:04]

Hello Annick

Lovely composition - excellent sharpness and spot-on exposure.

James

  • Great 
  • nagraj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 564 W: 94 N: 1188] (4846)
  • [2008-11-16 20:54]

hi Annick,
beautiful composition and nice overall feel of the habitat. good use of those grass blades, wish that you could control those reelections in the water. tfs.
nagraj.v

Hello Annck,This does look very similar to the White Heron we get in New Zealand,(Egretta alba modesta),except that the beak of this one seems quite a bit shorter.
Good exposure and nicely composed as usual.
Cheers
Steve

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2008-11-17 5:06]

Hello Annick,

You have made a very fine photo showing this bird in it's natural environment. You have used so well the soft light rendering fine color tones on bird's plumage. Bird is shown in a very sharp image and it stands fine against the blurry background.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

You managed perfect exposure and sharpness on this white egret Annick. It is an effective crop too.

TFS
Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 0 N: 1985] (8905)
  • [2008-11-17 11:05]

Hi Annick
Superb presentation.Excellent POV and perfect control of the detail on the white plumage.I also like the nice OOF Bg.
TFS Michel

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3581 W: 143 N: 5669] (18529)
  • [2008-12-03 10:13]

Hi Annick again.
Fantastic reproduction of the heron feathers. Every colour tones is reflected precisely.
Scene is very attractive at whole and combination of sharpness of the bird image and smoothness of the pictorial BG is great. My compliments and kind regards.
Alexei.

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