Blue Chaffinch ( Blåfink)

<< Previous Next >>
Blue Chaffinch ( Blåfink)
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Ellstrom (ellis49) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3658 W: 349 N: 8861] (28605)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Canon Ef 400mm /F5.6 L USM, Raw 640 ISO
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): RARE or SIGNIFICANT contributions to TN 3, Chaffinch's, Blue Birds [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-02-25 23:46
Viewed: 1138
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Today’s post is a quite rare bird, the Blue Chaffinch. You can find it on Tenerife, high
up in the mountains, my GPS shows 2125 m altitude.
On my vacation on Tenerife I met Victor (Juyona) and his lovely family, they took care of us and show us Tenerife. Twice Victor and I was up in the National Park north of Vilafor, I think the place is called La Lajas. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side, both times it was cold, quite dark and a bit hazy. I didn’t have my tripod so the quality of the picture are not the best even that Viktor did everything to help me to get good shots of this beauty.
Victor and his family also took us out a whole Saturday for a tour around the Island and we was invited twice for dinner at their home

This is for you Viktor and your lovely wife Naomi and her funny cousin Dámaris.
Thanks for everything and for the lovely food we got.

PLS
No points for this, I have given them up like some others. I have turn of the points, so save your green one


The Blue Chaffinch, (Fringilla teydea), is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
This bird lives mainly in mountain Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis) forests on Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. However it can also be found in bushy areas. Its preference is for habitat at around 1100–2000 m, but it will descend lower in bad weather. Breeding from May to July, it builds its nest in a tree fork, and lays two eggs. This bird is not migratory. This species may form small flocks outside the breeding season.

The Blue Chaffinch structurally resembles a large Chaffinch with a thicker bill, but the breeding male is unmistakable, with its largely blue plumage and grey bill. The female is like a large dark grey-brown female Chaffinch, but the wing bars are much weaker and there is not so much variation in the colouration.
Blue Caffinches primarily eat seeds, but, unlike most other finches, the young are fed extensively on insects.
Their song is shorter and weaker than that of the Chaffinch, and the flight call is croakier.

Canon 400mm L USM,
ISO 640, Raw-format, av-mode, pattern metering.
Levels, Contrast, Crop, resized to 800 pixels, Smart Sharpen ,PP in PS CS3.
smitha, Miss_Piggy, jcoowanitwong, ramthakur, Argus, uleko, darwin, Alex99, Juyona, Jamesp, MMM, pilonm, bobcat08, XOTAELE, vral, jaycee, marhowie 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
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To loot: Thanks Lootellis49 1 04-27 08:10
To uleko: Tack Ullaellis49 1 02-26 07:12
To kebapci: Thanks Umitellis49 1 02-26 07:08
To Janice: Thanks Janiceellis49 1 02-26 02:43
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hallo Gert
Is this the blue bird that Loot was talking about? If it is, it was worth while waiting. A real elegant and charming bird. A marvellous picture with full profile of the bird against a nice blurred background. Like always technically perfect, and once again proof that I still have lots to learn. Great photo, the kind you want to see in coffee table books. Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards.
Anna

Hello Gert,
Wonderful to have a shot at this rare Blue Chaffinch at 2,125 m altitude. Very nice image and beautiful natural color. Lovely composition.
JC

Sorry, after click 'Add' for 2 times, for some reasons my PC won't allow the adding. I have to select a rating to go through.

Thanks for showing us this great capture of a rare bird, Gert. Blue Chaffinch is a magnificent looking bird and you have captured it in its best possible aspect with a fine view of its entire body.
I like the two white spots around its eyes.
Best regards.
Ram

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1555 W: 233 N: 5071] (17907)
  • [2008-02-26 1:18]

Sounds like you had a great time in Tenerife!
Must have been a perfect place for photography!
A superb shot of a bird that I've never heard before!
Just looks like a blue Chaffinch :-)
Excellent composition and low-down POV.
Very good image quality.
Nice dedication to Viktor.
Thanks,
Joe

Hi Gert
Wonderful capture
Nice natural color
Fine sharpness and detail
Was wondering about the leg band is there some kind of project going on to moniter them
tfs jon

Hello Gert,
Beautiful shot of the Blue Chaffinch. Even without a tripod and poor light condition you have captured it with good sharpness and details.Good POV and DOF.
TFS and Regards,
Smitha.

Hi Gert, I've not seen a Blue Chaffinch before. It looks like one of the little finches I know - but defitely not that size or colour. Good to see he has a bracelet, so they must be monitoring the birds there.
Good sharp image, and happy memories for you too,
Janice

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2407 W: 132 N: 6648] (20847)
  • [2008-02-26 6:18]

Hej Gert,
Detta är suveränt!
If I could have taken a shot like this of the Blue Chaffinch I would have been very pleased, even though I know that you have images of birds with an even better technical quality. When we were in Tenerife last I didn't have a digital camera and I was more interested in seeing new species than photography.
Congratulations on this capture of a rare endemic species and thanks for sharing this image.
Hälsningar,
Ivan

Thank you for sharing the only "blue bird" of our region. I dont understand hey put the disturbing ring if not the species is migratory...

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2292 W: 163 N: 6690] (21124)
  • [2008-02-26 6:41]
  • [+]

Hej Gert,
It sounds as if you had a great time with an excellent guide! This bird is a real beauty and you managed to get a really fine shot. Excellent sharpness according to my standards and lovely colours! I think we looked for this bird around Vilaflor, but I can't remember seeing it but we got a really nice meal at a restaurant there!
Many thanks and cheers, Ulla

  •      
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2935 W: 142 N: 4216] (13771)
  • [2008-02-26 9:20]

Hi, dear Gert.
Thanks for your skill and kindness of Victor and its relations. We have chance to see this amazing picture. Your ringed bird is simply perfect. I am impressed with precise DOF. You have catch this beauty perfectly. Its image is crisp sharp with all details and exact colour reproduction. Surroundings are blurred a little bit and very nice too. My best wishes to you and your friends from Spain.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2072 W: 6 N: 1844] (12704)
  • [2008-02-26 11:51]

Hello friend,
for us it was a pleasure to share...
the weather, is still gray, it snowed in Teide.
I'll come back to Las Lajas :) and I will take vengeance, hahaha...
I hope the flu has finish.
beautiful capture,
many greetings Gert and Siv.

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1221 W: 0 N: 4443] (13278)
  • [2008-02-26 23:14]

Hi Gert

I was amazed by this picture - I thought it was a chaffinch that had been dyed blue at first! Thanks for posting this unusual bird. Good detail and pose.

James

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 728 W: 4 N: 1811] (8602)
  • [2008-02-27 1:21]

Gert, what is the thing in the birds leg? Very interesting shot and excellent note. Ganesh

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1456] (6586)
  • [2008-02-27 7:29]

Hello Gert
Nice presentation.Good pose from your subject.Good POV and sharp image.I also like those nice natural colors as a BG.
TFS Michel

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 540 W: 99 N: 803] (2613)
  • [2008-02-27 10:29]

Hello Gert,

Very nice picture of this bird I never saw before! Color are great and I like the evident dof (fg and bg blurred)... Nice details on the feathers too !

Good job and TFS!

Michel

  •      
  • bobcat08 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 333 W: 20 N: 327] (1303)
  • [2008-02-27 23:55]

Hello Gert,

I never seen such a bird like this (color) It is a real Chaffinch, yes thats correct but the color. So special. A wonderful compo. Natural color. Sharpness and brighnes are oké. Have you seen the different colours of the legs?? Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day and TFS Bob

Hola Gert.
Una encantadora imagen de unos pajarillos preciosos.
Bellos tonos y un excelente bg.
Saludos, JL.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1262 W: 103 N: 4286] (19397)
  • [2008-02-29 9:01]

Hello Gert, that's a perfectly sharp bird and the exposure is fine. Very well done, thanks!

Mario

  •      
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1672 W: 8 N: 4021] (13253)
  • [2008-02-29 10:18]

Hi Gert,

A blue Chaffinch -how wonderful to see this! Beautiful shot of a beautiful bird. A wonderful blue and razor sharp details. I see he is banded.

Thank you so much for the nice comments on my 300th.

Jane

  •      
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5634 W: 594 N: 3199] (8689)
  • [2008-04-27 7:40]
  • [+]

Hi Gert

I just realise I never got to critique this beauty which you where so excited about once you knew there was a possible opportunity for you to capture it. Well, as they say, rather late than never.

Of course it's always great if one can search and find some rare species which few people have had the privilege to see alive for themselves. What makes it even better is if one could manage to capture and obtain a great photo image of such species and then have the opportunity to share it with friends such as you have done here on the TrekNature site. A lovely capture my friend and worth the effort you had to go about to be able to get this. Even without your trusty tripod the image is nice and clear with ample detail and lovely colours. Probably most of us would have messed up this photo under the trying conditions you had to work, but you pulled it off once again and we have the pleasure of your dedication.

Well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

PS. A lovely dedication to Victor and his wife in return for their hospitality.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF