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Bright Eyes


Bright Eyes
Photo Information
Copyright: Loot Eksteen (loot) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5747 W: 606 N: 3503] (9405)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-03-12
Categories: Birds
Camera: Cannon EOS 350D, Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 AF APO Ultra DG, Digital ISO 100, UV 86mm Kenko
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): 50-60 points (chapter 5), Birds of South Africa 1, The Look Of Seagulls, Seagulls, A study in Ornithology, Gull view, Birds of Africa, Birds / Aves [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-04-30 2:48
Viewed: 1180
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Grey-headed gull - Larus cirrocephalus

I have photographed this gull at the Richards Bay Small Crafts Harbour. This area, the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, is declared as a recreational zone within the greater harbour facility.

Richards Bay was named after British naval commander Rear Admiral Sir Frederick William Richards, who landed troops on the Zululand coast in 1879, this was a small fishing village until the port was opened in 1976. Richards Bay now boasts the largest export coal terminal in the world - loading 65 million tons every year - and the specialised ships that call are a must-see for maritime buffs. The enormous operations of Richards Bay Minerals top the list of Industrial Tourism opportunities for the curious-minded.

Description
The Grey-headed Gull is slightly larger than the Black-headed Gull at 42 cm length. The summer non-breeding adult has a pale grey head, a grey body, darker in tone than the Black-headed gull, and red bill and legs. The black tips to the primary wing feathers have conspicuous white "mirrors". The underwing is dark grey with black wingtips. The grey hood is lost in winter, leaving just dark streaks. Sexes are similar. The South American race is slightly larger and paler-backed than the African subspecies. This gull takes two years to reach maturity. First year birds have a black terminal tail band, and more dark areas in the wings. In flight, the wings are broader and held flatter than those of Black-headed Gull.

First year birds lack the grey hood, have a black mark behind the eye and can be confused with a Black-headed Gull in winter plumage which is paler and has a dark eye.

Distribution
Africa: Madagascar and from Gambia East to eastern African Lakes and South to South Africa.
South America: Peru and from Paraguay and Brazil South to Argentina.

Behaviour
This locally abundant gull breeds in large colonies in reed beds and marshes, and lays two or three eggs in a nest that can be on the ground or floating. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. Although it is predominantly coastal or estuarine, it is not a pelagic species, and is rarely seen at sea far from land. Flocks numbering hundreds or thousands can form when the feeding conditions are appropriate.

Food
They are aggressive, big birds with short, strong beaks, but they are not equipped for hunting any live prey. These scavengers of the sea mostly feed on dead fish and animal matter while sometimes stealing food from other gulls/birds or robbing other bird nests for eggs and nestlings. Sometimes they eat mollusks (shellfish) which they carry up to a height and then drop on rocks to break the shell.

Voice
This is a noisy species, especially at colonies. The call is a raucous crow-like "caw, caw".

Status
Not globally threatened. Source.

Post Processing was done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0.
coasties, Janice, wkshelton, Matt-Bird, Luc, elefantino, carper, scottevers7, ALIRIZA, SunToucher, pilonm, Fisher, Dando, firelord, saguzar, aido, elroyie, Dyker, Miss_Piggy, Aaltjie, betsie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To manyee: The great blue...loot 2 05-03 16:41
To jchemas: Seagullsloot 1 05-01 19:18
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Loot,
Fantastic capture! Excellent sharpness and clarity,
great POV and nice colours.
Very well done!

Hi Loot

A lovely clear shot. Nice POV. Very good depth of colour. Light is excellent. Nice BG to compliment the shot. Very good exposure. :-)

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3464 W: 145 N: 5942] (17790)
  • [2006-04-30 5:41]

All our seagulls look similar but are all quite distinct for their area. They are good models and your fellow is nice and sharp Loot, but what a strange coloured eye he has. Good POV, and well captured, thank you
Janice
PS Please note that I am not rubbing in your Super14 results...:(((

Hi Loot,
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and composition.

Thanks for posting, have a great weekend.

Hi Loot, great capture, excellent details, perfct BG, POV, excellent colors, TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • reina Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 261 W: 1 N: 322] (1992)
  • [2006-04-30 11:20]

Hi Loot, very nice shot, I like the contrasts of the blue and the white of the bird. I still its a bit to much sharpness or saturation, but you probably dont agree.
Thanks for the clear note, I was thinking it might be the opposite with this bird, not threatened at all... maybe they adopt too well near humans.
Good week reina

Colorfull shot!!
Great eye and details overall.
TSF
Andrea

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2192 W: 124 N: 2599] (8406)
  • [2006-04-30 13:52]

a fantastic eye catcher Loot,
realy good shot of this fantastic bird, that eye is marvelous, the composition is well taken and the quality niveau is high, well done Loot.
gr. jaap

Hi Loot,
The quality of light here is really great. Beautiful subtle colors in this spot on exposure. Great overall detail. even in the white plumage. Excellent frame filling composition with a beautiful blue sky backround. What an eye! Very well done my friend.
Scott

This is a very interesting gull, Loot. I have never seen one with those green eyes and those very red legs. He seems to be standing at attention, waiting for you to take his picture. The details are very sharp, and the exposure is excellent. And I notice that South Africa also has a great blue sky. : )
TFS. : )

Hi Loot,
Very nice and colorful shot, lovely. POV, framing, lighting, nice color on the eye and details are excellent. Congratulations...
Ali Rıza

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 552 W: 99 N: 836] (2721)
  • [2006-05-01 15:14]

Hello Loot,

Excellent picture of this gull!!! I really like the blue bg! Feathers details are wonderful!!! Sharpness and pov cannot be better! TFS (It is the fisrt time I see such a gull!)

Michel

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-05-01 17:06]

Hi Loot,

You did well capturing the seagull.
The composition is rather tight and it appears oversharpened, judging by the eye and beak, there are artifacts/crystals. Gaussian blur on the background.?
Nice colors.

Mike

  • Great 
  • Dando Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 641 W: 32 N: 791] (3080)
  • [2006-05-01 17:54]

Hi Loot, sorry I have missed some of your shots lately due to work commitments. A great capture of this grey headed gull. Good exposure, details, POV and colour. TFS.
Dean.

Hello Loot.
Getting into seagulls this time?????
Great shot of this one, love the color of the eyes.
Superb colors and details with good POV and Excellent BG.
TFS!!!!
Regards
JC

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 0 N: 90] (7755)
  • [2006-05-01 20:19]

Hi Loot
Excellent sharpness and clarity. Great colours, sharpnes, POV and note.
Well done

osse

Hi Loot,
Beautiful photo with such great color and sharpness. This is something else from your previous photos, not taken in a wildlife park but at a harbour. Looks like you have so many great opportunties for photography near your house that I have to plan a visit South Africa.
TFS,
Niek

:-) tomorrow

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 884 W: 2 N: 616] (2070)
  • [2006-05-02 15:00]

Hay Loot , A Very Beautifull photo from the gull ,Good details, the blue bg good details pov and sharpnes ,
tfs ,Nice evening , Teunie .

Hi Loot,
Very good portrait, has good details on plumage, is well composed and has nice colours; only found that red parts are a bit saturated.
Regards
Hernán

Hi Loot,
Nice catch. Very crisp exposure, love the OOF BG simplifies the imae nicely.
TFS
Paul

Wow loot, great shot. I like how the eyes really stand out. I wonder how they would look if you cropped just the eyes?
Cheers,
Bob

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 169 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-05-03 14:40]

Hi Loot,
Great shot, excellent detail and perfect colours. Lovely defocused BG with perfect DOF and just a hint of the foreground, excellent work!
Cheers,
Adrian

Great pose and very good sharpness, the eye is great.
It seems that you used H&S because the colour's tones seemed to be a little bit odd, or you did some slective lightening because it is seen well on the picture, especially on the edges of the gull and the noise on the gull is high.

My friend Loot
Since the space for a new posting remains empty I'll have to return to one of your older postings. The colour of this Gull's eyes are magic. Really super, not to mention the red beak, paws and the circle around the eyes. I like the freeze framed pose in which you have captured this beautiful bird. It has a lovely set of feathers in soft colours.
Kind regards
Aaltjie

Hallo Loot
Time is not on my side, but Trek Nature and all its beauty is an addiction. Just a few words........
This is such a lovely image and your title is most applicable. You have really done yourself proud with this gorgeous posting. Wonderful and sharp details displayed and presented in a way that you are well-known for. You can in actual fact tap yourself on the shoulder and say well done, because this is a great close-up with great clarity of the especially the eye and the beak. A beautiful image with lots of details to appreciate. Kind regards and thanks for sharing.
Anna

Loot
Jy het nie baie kleur nodig om 'n foto mooi te laat vertoon nie.!
Groete
Betsie

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