<< Previous Next >>

My first Marsh Tit :-)


My first Marsh Tit :-)
Photo Information
Copyright: Ena Simic (Ena) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 570] (2341)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-19
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/4, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-01-19 7:54
Viewed: 710
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout temperate Europe and northern Asia. It occurs from northern Spain north to southeastern Scotland and east to western Russia, then a broad gap in western Asia and present again in eastern Asia from the Altai Mountains east to northern Japan and northern and western China. It does not breed in Ireland or the colder northern countries. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate. There has been a >60% decline in numbers in Britain between 1960 and 2000, with numbers down to 52,800 pairs.

The crown is glossy black; the chin and upper throat are black, the feathers of the latter edged with white. The cheeks are white, fading into off-white on the sides of the neck, the back is sandy brown with an olive tinge, and the rump browner. The absence of a white nape spot distinguishes it at once from the Coal Tit.

The wings and tail are greyish-brown, and there is often a distinct wing bar on the greater coverts. The underparts are greyish white, shading into buff on the flanks. As a rule the upper and under surfaces are more sharply defined than in the Willow Tit, its probable sister species. The bill is black with pale cutting eges (a good distinction from Willow Tit), the legs lead-coloured, and the irides very dark brown (paler in juveniles).

It can be told from the Willow Tit by its glossy blue-black head and squarer tail; the black bib under the biill is smaller, and the wings are uniformly brown without a conspicuous lighter area towards the tips when at rest. The sexes are alike and seasonal changes are not striking; the young are duller. Length is 11.5 cm, and wing range from 60-70 mm.

"Marsh Tit" is a misleading rather than incorrect name, for though the bird is found in damp and marshy places, it is as common in dry woods and hedgerows and occasionally even in gardens. In mixed winter tit flocks, seldom more than one or two Marsh Tits are present, and parties of this species alone are infrequent. Its performances in the bushes and branches are just as neat and agile as those of other tits; it often hangs upside down by one leg. Like the other chickadees it has a large range of call notes; most typical it the explosive 'pitchou' note, given when agitated. This note often leads into a typical chickadee note: pitchou-bee-bee-bee. Unlike many other chickadees, however, the Marsh Tit has a well-defined song and a wide song repertoire. Individual birds can have more than five songs, which they use interchangeably. Some of the more common songs include a typical tit-like, ringing, 'schip-schip-schip-schip-ship', and a more liquid 'tu-tu-tu-tu-tu' and sometimes a sweet 'tyeu-tyeu-tyeu-tyeu-tyeu'.

The food is animal or vegetable; caterpillars and other insects, and spiders are eaten, and seeds of various kinds, including those of the thistle. Unlike most other tits, this bird has been observed to store the food for the winter, by hiding seeds behind tree bark or in similar semi-hidden places.

The nest is occasionally in a hole in the ground, but the bird is more of a tree species than some of its relatives. It selects a hole in a rotten willow or other trunk or stump for choice, and though it never starts a hole, it undoubtedly enlarges the hollow, carrying the chips to a distance before dropping them. The hole may be within a centimetres or two of the ground or high as 10 m. Wool, hair, fur and moss are felted together, and occasionally willowdown is added, but the quantity of material used is variable. Feathers are very rarely used.

Five to nine eggs of the usual tit type are laid late in April or in May, and second broods are recorded though extremely rare in Britain. Most second broods are replacement clutches. The bird sits closely, and gives a typical tit 'hissing display' if disturbed.


Systematics
Most authorities retain Poecile as a subgenus within the genus Parus, but the American Ornithologists' Union treats it as a distinct genus. This is supported by mtDNA cytochrome b sequence analysis; within Poecile, the Marsh Tit is part of a group of Eurasian "typical chickadees" that includes also the Willow Tit, Père David's Tit, and the Songar Tit (Gill et al. 2005, del Hoyo et al. 2007).

The subspecies hypermelaenus, with a disjunct range in western China, is sometimes considered a distinct species, the Black-bibbed Tit Poecile hypermelaenus (Harrap & Quinn 1996). It differs in having a larger area of black on the throat and upper breast (Harrap & Quinn 1996, del Hoyo et al. 2007).

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Paridae
Genus: Poecile
Species: P. palustris

Wikipedia

+ Willow Tit has a completely chocolate brown beak, and it has NO white line running around the cutting edge of it... ( I thank Laszlo Torday, my friend, a doctor from Hungary, and an exper bird ringer for this info!)
Alex99, nglen, izler, carper, Silvio2006, CeltickRanger, Argus, dejo, jusninasirun, joelcforte, fartash, Necipp, mariki, azleader, hester, jeanpaul, blakitan, xTauruSx has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
None
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3043 W: 148 N: 4547] (14679)
  • [2008-01-19 8:24]

Hi Ena.
Only white balance is not perfect. It would be better to adjust it at PS. However, great scene. Excellent sharpness of the tit and nice DOF (blurred a bit remote branches and smooth BG). I also like the exact and impressive framing of the shot. My best wishes and TFS.
Alexei.

Hello Ena,
congratulation for your first Marsh Tit
these litle birds are realy fast and not easy to captured,
lovely scene and excellent work,
cheer,
friendly,
Pat

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1993 W: 5 N: 5571] (21050)
  • [2008-01-19 8:49]

Hi Ena. I great when you get a bird for the first time. youhave captured this one with good detail and colour. anice POV.well done .good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1264 W: 78 N: 874] (7918)
  • [2008-01-19 9:11]

merhaba ena
good capturing of this cute and moving bird, i know its difficult
i like composition, point of view, lighting, colours, sharpness and details
thanks for sharing
regards
izler

hello Ena,
a very nice capture here. the shot is not perfect but you captured him good and thats a start. I know how difficult it is to made wild shots of birds., good start nice photo.
gr. jaap

Hello Ena,
Good size posting to have this Marsh Tit in good closeness!
excellent sharpness with details
a composition well done
greeting
Tony

merhaba Ena,
This very nice capture of this beautiful passerine. I think it has not much photograph on TN. I searched and I found only several. Your composition, focus and POV very nice. Thanks, best wishes from Turkiye
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1003 W: 6 N: 2707] (10057)
  • [2008-01-19 17:16]

Welcome back in the bird's world and thanks for this great pic and very good note,have a nice day,Luciano

hello Ena

excellent shot of this bird, good details on the bird's plumage,
i love your image's POV and the way you framed the bird
on the image,

i did a WorkShop doing a color correction
of the dominance of yellow tones

TFS

Asbed

Hello Ena,
Excellent detail in the fold of the wings and the eye of this Tit. The correct choice of F stop and shutter speed to show this Tit in the wild.
Just a slight yellow in the white count---
Well Captured...
Steve

Ciao Ena, deliziosa composizione con uno splendido uccellino, bella la luce, calda e dorata, ottimi i dettagli del piumaggio, brava, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2613 W: 133 N: 7504] (23403)
  • [2008-01-20 5:39]

Hello Ena,
This is pretty good, especially as it is your first shot of a Marsh Tit and for a compact camera I would say this is excellent, though it is possible to clone away the chromatic abberation that arises when you zoom in (esp. the leg). Fine composition among the branches and great pose and POV.
Well done and thanks for sharing this one,
Ivan

Hello Ena
Marsh Tits are an a absolutely divine little Tit..I have had them visit my garden once but I didnt get a picture..You have captured him superbly with lovely sharp details..(I used to have a canon s2is and I wish I hadnt sold it..great camera)
Tfs and All the Best
Paul

  • Great 
  • krall Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 165 W: 0 N: 55] (2226)
  • [2008-01-20 10:53]

Hı Ena

Good photo, Thanks .)

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2056)
  • [2008-01-20 13:29]

Hi Ena,
jos jedna pticica u super galeriji,
uslikana u finoj prirodnoj pozi sa detaljima koji odlicno predstavljaju vrstu
slatka ptica
Ciao :)

Hello Ena,
You are very talented in capturing nature pictures. I like the way this bird perched and the light coming to the body. Good clear details in this almost flawless shot of a bird. I like it and very well done.
Regards,
Jusni

Hello Ena,
Very beautiful bird, very nice details
the bird is very sharp and well presented.. Well done

Everton

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4816] (21378)
  • [2008-01-21 13:41]

Hello Ena, congrats on your first March Tit ! Well composed shot, good exposure and sharpness, the picture has a yellowish color but the Workshop of Asbed has corrected it. Well done, thanks !

Mario

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-01-21 19:31]

Hello Ena

Very cute ,very similar to our Chickadee.
The lighting is warm and creates an interesting atmosphere to this shot.
The emerging buds on the branches adds to the vernal look of the shot.
Very good plumage detail.
TFS

Rob

hey ena i love this shot, specially the color harmony its like a sepia shot, the clarity is also fine, great notes to

Hello Ena
Excellent shot of this Marsh Tit,
Perfect focusing,lightiong and POV,
Welldone.

I wasn't around that much these days ;O)
Good Luck
Fartash

Hi Ena, Congrats on your marsh Tit first capture, Hope there is many more for you. Light was difficult and backlight good work under the circumstances tfs rgds Necip

Hello Ena,

Very nice picture of this Marsh tit. Nice composition. Good POV and focus. Nice natural colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1471 W: 18 N: 2981] (10944)
  • [2008-01-26 12:59]

Hi Ena

Lovely shot of your Marsh Tit. You have caught him in good pose, the focus is sharp and the DOF is fine. The colours would be even better with a WB tweak. Great work for your first ever shot of this quick little bird

TFS

Karan

Hi Ena,
cute shot from a great POV, I've done a workshop myself to add my 2 cents, I do really like it though, chick a dees are my favorite birds! TFS
Donna:o)

Bonjour Ena
Belle présentation et belle prise de vue de cette belle mésange qui ressemble étrangement a la notre ici au québec , les couleurs et la nettetée sont très bonnes, belle composition et beau BG.
Au revoir et félicitation ....JP

Hi Ena,

Very nicely captured, well focused, sharp.
Neat blurry BG.
Lovely natural colors.

Ben Lakitan

Hi Ena, Very beautiful shot. Great sharpness and wonderful colours. TFS.
Cheers,
Deniz

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2008-03-03 0:23]

Hi Ena,
Excellent shot of this tiny Marsh Tit with nice details and colours on its plumage. Superb lighting and you have captured a fine pose in this natural surrounding. Very neat focus and I like your chosen POV. Very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF