<< Previous Next >>

The smallest tit in Europe


The smallest tit in Europe
Photo Information
Copyright: Bengt Falke (falke) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 158 W: 17 N: 443] (1590)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-03
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 40 D, Canon EF 300/4 L IS USM
Exposure: f/4, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-01-03 6:48
Viewed: 894
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Intro:
This is one of my favorite birds. The Coal Tit (Parus ater/Svartmes) is such a small bird, only about 10 cm long so it is almost a miracle that they can survive our winters here in Sweden. Normally they are in the tops of huge trees of spruce, so you do not see them that often if you don't know where to seek. But in the winter time they come feeding from our feeders just outside our kitchen window.

They seems to be totally unaware of that humans normally are quite dangerous, as they feed just one meter from me all the time. We have a couple of them here all the time in the winter. We also have a secret feeding place up on the mountain were we feed Coal Tits and Crested Tits to get closeups without being disturbed by our cats.

Geographic info:
This is from our home in the woods in the south-east of Sweden The nearest town is Vimmerby.

Technical information:
Canon 300/f4 lens on a Canon 40D body, in rawformat. I used Adobe Lightroom for some adjustments before the final edit in Photoshop CS3.

Just crop, white balance and a bit hue.
Noise reduction with Noiseware professional
Sharpening with Photokit capture sharpener

About the specie:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The Coal Tit, Periparus ater (often still Parus ater), is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder throughout Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It is resident, and most birds do not migrate.

The Coal Tit is 10–11.5 cm in length, and has a distinctive large white nape spot on its black head. The head, throat and neck of the adult are glossy blue-black, setting off the white on the nape and sides of the face; the white tips of the coverts show as a double wingbar. The underparts are white shading through buff to rufous on the flanks. The bill is black, the legs lead-coloured and irides dark brown.

The young bird is duller than the adult, the black head having no sheen, and the white of the nape and cheeks is tinged with yellow.

There are a number of subspecies. The British race P. a. britannicus has an olive brown back, distinguishing it from the nominate continental race P. a. ater in which the back is bluish grey. The North African race P. a. ledouci has yellow underparts and cheeks, and the Cypriot P. a. cypriotes has a buff tinge to its upperparts, and deep buff underparts.

Coal Tits will form small flocks in winter with other tits. This species resembles other tits in acrobatic skill and restless activity, though it more frequently pitches on a trunk, and in little hops imitates the Treecreeper. Its food is similar to that of the others; it is keen on beechmast, picks out the seeds from larch and fir cones, and joins Redpolls and Siskins in birches and alders. It will also visit gardens to feed on a variety of foods put out, particularly sunflower seeds. During these food hunts it keeps up an incessant short flight or flock call; the song, if song it can be called, is a strident if-he, if-he, if-he, heard most frequently from January to June, but also in autumn. One variant of this song or call ends with a sharp ichi.

A favourite nesting site is a hole in a rotting tree-stump, often low down, and the nest is deep within the hole; holes in the ground, burrows of mice or rabbits, chinks between the stones in walls, old nests of magpies or other large birds, and squirrel dreys are also occupied. The materials, moss, hair and grass, are closely felted together, and rabbit fur or feathers added for lining; seven to eleven red spotted white eggs of the usual tit type are laid, as a rule, in May, but second broods are rare.
mariki, MartinL, Argus, Luis52, vanderschelden, jaycee, Ena, CeltickRanger, fiyo, SelenE, rcrick, MMM 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 spalaxtr: To Mustafa..falke 1 01-11 14:36
To vanderschelden: Krueger parcfalke 1 01-03 10:34
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hello Bengt,

Great composition. Perfect sharpness and wonderful colours. I like very much the blue reflection (due to the flash?) in the eye.

Well done,
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2613 W: 133 N: 7504] (23403)
  • [2008-01-03 7:27]

Hej Bengt,
You caught this Coal Tit from an excellent POV with not only a good view of the black 'bib', but a glimpse of the white stripe on the back of the head. Nice sharpness with good use of flash without making the BG too dark.
We don't have them at our bird feeders and they are not so common here.
Well done and thanks,
Hälsningar,
Ivan

Hello Bengt
This is a superbly sharp shot of a rare visitor to my garden.
Very good use of fill flash here and its great to see your shot as the lense you use is on my shopping list and with this sharpness I shall be buying soon!!
Superbly informative note
Best Regards
Paul

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2056)
  • [2008-01-03 7:58]

Hello Bengt,
great capture of this cute little bird,
nice sharpness and composition, I like this blue spark in the eye
great work
best regards, Dejan

Hej Bengt
Nice shot of this Coal Tit with great details and colours.
TFS / Hälsningar
Ralf

Hello Bengt,
Very sharp focused photo with a good use of flash. The colours are great.
Excellent POV and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1022 W: 5 N: 2802] (10144)
  • [2008-01-03 9:54]

Hola Bengt.- Muy bella la foto. Hermosa la pose y exelentes colores. Fina la pose y muy educativa la nota escrita.
Saludos Luis52.

Hi Bengt,
Mood and winter are the words coming in mind lloking at your image.
Good Coal tit portrait...
Well done
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1788 W: 8 N: 4639] (15001)
  • [2008-01-03 10:19]

Hi Bengt,

Beautiful little Coal Tit posed nicely on the icy looking tree. Wonderful colors and details of the bird. The eye is amazing - almost looks purple.

Jane

Hello Bengt,
This is a very fine close up of the smallest Tit!
excellent exposure and focus with total sharpness, vivid colour and details in it
well done
TFS
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 110 W: 60 N: 211] (1859)
  • [2008-01-03 12:39]

Hello Bengt,
Nice pose, very good sharpness ant this blue eye splendid.
Happy New Year, Pawel

Hello Begnt,
Fine shot of this Tit.
Great POV and focus detail.
Good use of flash also.
TFS, Richard

  • Great 
  • Ena Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 61 N: 570] (2341)
  • [2008-01-03 16:00]

Hello Bengt,
Beautiful shot of this cute little tit!
Good POV, excellent details and sharpness!
Regards
Ena

hello Bengt

superb photographic shot of this beautiful little bird,
the sharpness and the details of the subject are excellent,
excellent pov and framing too, and i like to see that
branches (on and off focus) that for it brings a plus to the image

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 924 W: 5 N: 2259] (8370)
  • [2008-01-04 0:27]

Hello Bengt,
This is a very beautiful picture with very good details and sharpness.Regards.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 107 N: 4816] (21378)
  • [2008-01-04 4:38]

Hello Bengt ! You're right it's almost the same bird as the Black-capped Chickadee ! Very sharp image, great exposure and nice surroundings ! Well done, thanks !

Mario

Superbe, très beaux détails et belles couleurs, le BG met le tou t bien en valeur, belle composition.
Bravo
Marie

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2351 W: 61 N: 3811] (12226)
  • [2008-01-04 16:13]

Hi Bengt,
Very nice capture of this cute little fellow with a good POV, composition, color tones, pose and details. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 629 W: 42 N: 1156] (3736)
  • [2008-01-04 22:41]

Hello Bengt
Another great composition, excellent detail, beautiful eye catch, Love the POV and the exposure is perfect, all the best Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 755 W: 0 N: 1515] (6928)
  • [2008-01-07 4:12]

Hello Bengt
Excellent presentation.I like the pose from your subject he look like if he was listening to you.Sharp image whit nice details.POV is excellent
TFS Michel

Hi Bengt,
Great composition and very well focus. I liked this photo very much. Could you please let me use this photo in a book on Biodiversity of Zonguldak, TURKEY for educational purposes. It wil be in Turkish and distributed without money. spalaxtr@hotmail.com
Mustafa

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF