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Northern Lapwing


Northern Lapwing
Photo Information
Copyright: Ralf Lukovic (ralfsworld) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 503 W: 88 N: 1796] (6056)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05-01
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 5D, Canon EF 400mm F/2.8 L IS USM
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Vanderschelden's favourites [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-09 5:43
Viewed: 820
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
One more shot from Öland. This time was colorful Northern Lapwing. I found this guy on the field looking for the food. Captured from a car with 5D @ 800mm. (400x2)

Vanellus vanellus), also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Europe, and across temperate Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America.

It is highly migratory over most of its extensive range, wintering further south as far as north Africa, northern India and China. It migrates mainly by day, often in large flocks. Lowland breeders in westernmost areas of Europe are resident.

It is a wader which breeds on cultivated land and other short vegetation habitats. 3–4 eggs are laid in a ground scrape. The nest and young are defended noisily and aggressively against all intruders, up to and including horses and cattle.

The numbers of this species have been adversely affected by intensive agricultural techniques. In winter it forms huge flocks on open land, particularly arable land and mud-flats.

This lapwing is a 28-31cm long bird with a 67-72cm wingspan, It has rounded wings and a crest. It is the shortest-legged of the lapwings. It is mainly black and white, but the back is tinted green. Females and young birds have narrower wings, and have less strongly-marked heads, but plumages are otherwise quite similar.

The name lapwing derives from the "lapping" sound its wings make, or the flapping flight, while peewit describes the bird's shrill call. This is a vocal bird in the breeding season, with constant calling as the crazed tumbling display flight is performed by the male.

Food is mainly insects and other small invertebrates. This species often feeds in mixed flocks with Golden Plovers and Black-headed Gulls, the latter often robbing the two plovers, but providing a degree of protection against predators.

Like the Golden Plovers, this species prefers to feed nocturnally when there are moonlit nights.

From Wikipedia.
JoseMiguel, Rolf, SelenE, Dan, vanderschelden, Argus, MMM, Raptorman, snowfalken, coasties has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Dan: Thanks Danralfsworld 1 05-09 10:59
To uleko: Tack Ullaralfsworld 1 05-09 08:11
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Critiques [Translate]

great colors nice focus good DOF nice catchlight in the eye

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2459 W: 168 N: 7421] (23442)
  • [2007-05-09 6:13]
  • [+]

Hej Ralf,
Wow, this is one of the best shots I've seen of the Lapwing, or the "Peewit" as they say in rural England. Razor sharp and the colours are fabulous. (I wonder if you got your paint brush out?? :-})
I forgot to ask you what parts of Öland you went to?
TFS o ha det så bra, Ulla

Hi Ralf,
Thiis is a very impressive image!
The sharpness and vivid colours are really stunning here.
Very good the tones on the upper feathers.
You did it great with the exposure, despite the high contrast subject to shot.
Congratulations and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

  • Great 
  • Rolf Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 59 W: 0 N: 27] (196)
  • [2007-05-09 7:29]

This is really well presented shot of Lapwing with great details.
TFS
Rolf

Hello Ralf,
Excellent capture of a beautiful bird.Very sharp and detailed. Wonderful colours.You have really brought out the magnificent beauty of its feathers. Well done. TFS,
Smitha.

Another stunning shot Ralf. Sharpness is amazing, plumage details outstanding. Exposure is excellent and the blurred background allows this guy to stand out brilliantly.
Great work
Chris

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2339 W: 59 N: 3778] (12122)
  • [2007-05-09 8:35]

Hi Ralf,
Colors, focus and sharpness is great. Very good eye contact and a POV. Well done and TFS
Selen

Hola Ralf
Preciosa foto de esta avefria, donde gracias a la calidad de la foto podemos apreciar ese plumaje tan bonito.
Un saludo.
Jorge

bonjour ralf
bravo,le vanneau est un oiseau qui ne se laisse pas facilement tirer le portrait.
vouss avez tres bien fait ressortir les couleurs metalliques de sont plumage.
bonne netteté.
laurent

  • Great 
  • Dan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 112 W: 0 N: 352] (1729)
  • [2007-05-09 10:42]
  • [+]

Hi Ralf,
excellent colors and details. Wonderful photo.
How did you arrive so close to this bird? Could you tell me the distance from the bird?
TFS, Dan

Hi Ralf,
Good work. The loss of quality due to the teleconverter must be very little. I wonder what aperture you used here...no exif display.
Colourful bird, well compose, great detail and sharpness.
Did you use a beanbag?
What do you think about your lens in general?
Well done
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2597 W: 133 N: 7441] (23193)
  • [2007-05-09 13:16]

Hej Ralf,
Superb capture of tofsvipan, the sharpness and plumage detail being first rate and the colour saturation at its best. Excellent BG and compo.
TFS,
Hälsningar,
Ivan

Svårt att fota när man hotas av häftiga skurar hela tiden!

  • Great 
  • marcin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 126 W: 0 N: 155] (1371)
  • [2007-05-09 16:21]

hi Ralf
great colors nice focus
well done
TFS
marcin

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 751 W: 0 N: 1506] (6872)
  • [2007-05-09 21:18]

Hi Ralf
What a beautiful bird , never saw one before.The detaisl and focus are extremeky sharp ,the colors are outstanding.Perfect POV with very nice BG.
TFS Michel

I didn't know there were such colorful birds in Sweden. It is really beautiful as is the photograph. That lens really delivers! And you knowing how to use it really helps too. Nice work

TFS
Evelynn : )

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 422 W: 71 N: 984] (4241)
  • [2007-05-10 5:25]

Hi Ralf,
in some occasions the metallic colours on the back of a lapwing come out really well. You got that occasion here. Very sharp image and well exposed; the white parts come out in the right way. Beautiful!
Cheers, JAcob

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1683 W: 242 N: 5560] (19685)
  • [2007-05-10 5:47]

Hi Ralf,
this has beauitful iridescent colours!
Superb capture with a decent DOF and composition.
Will be back tomorrow.
Well done,
Joey

Hello Ralf , congrat.to you , everything is perfect in your photo , TFS and good luck...

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2167 W: 124 N: 2567] (8208)
  • [2007-05-10 13:48]

fantastic one Ralf,
the colours are super, even as the good pov, the sharpnes and the quality of this shot, this is a masterpiece, well done,
gr. jaap

Incredible! What a rainbow on the feathers. Very well caught the reflects and colours... sharp and with a very good light. Congratulations

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3069 W: 231 N: 5859] (19702)
  • [2007-05-11 4:09]

Wow, fantastic shot, Ralf.
Love the colors on this lapwing.
You did a great job catching the iridescence.
Details are nice and sharp and the pose is perfect.
TFS. : )

Hello Ralf,

A very good capture of an interesting bird. I've never seen this species before! So colorful and very beautiful!

Composition:

Very simple and efficient composition! Just the subject and the ground! You chose a very important point to place the face of the Lapwing into. The blurred background isolates the subject very good! I appreciate the clean and easy to read profile of the bird. You captured a great eye contact!

Colors:

This is a beautiful and colorful bird! I like the green and red iridescence in the plumage. I suppose the reflected colors in the plumage change with the angle of view. I find the colors well saturated and natural looking!

Contrast:

Very good overall contrast! Especially the black-white-red colors contrast strongly. This is good for drawing attention to the subject!

Exposure:

Considering the black and white colors in the sunlight, you exposed the Lapwing perfectly. No highlight were overexposed and no shadows were underexposed. I find this difficult to achieve under strong lighting conditions. The details were preserved perfectly throughout the bird's plumage and a great catchlight was also recorded. Excellent work!

Focus:

There's no doubt you focused on the subject. The razor-sharp details speak for themselves! Additionally, you controlled the DOF perfectly to isolate the bird from the background. This also adds perspective to your photo!

The simple and well chosen frame compliments your shot very well! A great presentation with great notes! Thanks for sharing!

With Friendly Regards,
Eddie

Hi Ralf

The colours you have captured in the plumage are simply stunning! What a visual feast you share with us. The low POV is perfect allowing for excellent eye contact. Top shot! Well done. TFS.

Hello Ralf.

Excellent image, very good details and colors.

Regards.
Jose Luis.

Soggetto ripreso molto bene e colori smaglianti!

Ciao e grazie, Emanuele

Beautiful colourful shot. The eyes are sharply focussed. Good POV

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