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Long-tailed Duck (Alfågel)


Long-tailed Duck (Alfågel)
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Ellstrom (ellis49) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3388 W: 343 N: 9479] (30805)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-04-11
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40 D, Canon EF 300mm / F2.8 L USM, Digital RAW 200, Canon Extender EF 1.4x II
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/800 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-04-11 2:39
Viewed: 828
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
First I will thank all for the nice comments and words of my last post.

This the first time I ever seen this beautiful duck and of course I post one on TN.
I was out by the Baltic sea just out side my town looking for spring birds,
The sea birds use to come first and it has arrived lots of duck, grebes, cot and ospreys.
Suddenly this landed just 15metres from me and I didn’t know what kind of a duck it was.
They are not common so I’m very glad to have captured one.
I hope you like it too.

A bigger version here

The Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) is a medium-sized sea duck. It is the only living member of its genus, Clangula; this was formerly used for the goldeneyes, with the Long-tailed Duck being placed in Harelda. An undescribed congener is known from the Middle Miocene
Adults have white underparts, though the rest of the plumage goes through a complex moulting process. The male has a long pointed tail (10 to 15 cm) and a dark grey bill crossed by a pink band. In winter, the male has a dark cheek patch on a mainly white head and neck, a dark breast and mostly white body. In summer, the male is dark on the head, neck and back with a white cheek patch. The female has a brown back and a relatively short pointed tail. In winter, the female's head and neck are white with a dark crown. In summer, the head is dark. Juveniles resemble adult females in autumn plumage, though with a lighter, less distinct cheek patch.
Their breeding habitat is in tundra pools and marshes, but also along sea coasts and in large mountain lakes in the North Atlantic region, Alaska, northern Canada, northern Europe and Russia. The nest is located on the ground near water; it is built using vegetation and lined with down. They are migratory and winter along the eastern and western coasts of North America, on the Great Lakes, coastal northern Europe and Asia, with stragglers to the Black Sea. The most important wintering area is the Baltic Sea, where a total of about 4.5 million gather.

More Info in different language here

Canon 300mm/F2.8 L, 1,4x Extender, Tripod
ISO 400, Raw-format, AV-mode, spot metering, +2/3 Ev
Converted in Canon DPP, Levels, Contrast, Crop, resized to 800 pixels, Smart Sharpen ,PP in PS CS4.
Well calibrated Eizo monitor, calibrated/profiled with a Spyder3 Elite
ppmiranda, Tamrock, Alex99, zetu, maurydv, CeltickRanger, jaycee, Noisette, rousettus has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 643 W: 15 N: 1566] (6115)
  • [2009-04-11 3:48]

Hello Gert
All I can say is EXCELLENT! I saw this bird for few times. It rare in my country, only in winter I can see it and only if I'm lucky. You capture it with very sharp details and wonderful colors.
Regards
Razvan

hello Gert
particular beauty duck, very good glance and result,
wonderful photo
regards
Nasos

hello gert!
congrat to this fine pic on
this rare and beautiful bird!
god job!

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3581 W: 143 N: 5669] (18529)
  • [2009-04-11 9:51]

Hi Gert.
What an amazing duck. Its "clothes" are wonderful as well as the colouration of the bird. I like superb DOF and fine reproduction of the waves and colours of the water too. Lights, colours, sharpness are stunning. Thanks for so rare and top quality shot. Have a nice weekend,
Alexei.

Hello Gert,
Excellent capture, with nice details and colours. Beautiful species too! Best regards,
Catherine

Hi Gert,
This is the first time I've seen this duck.
What an odd looking species.
Your photo of it is very good.
TFS & Cheers
Steve

hello Gert'
beautiful picture
great sharpness with good details
beautiful colours
greeting lou

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2900 W: 34 N: 8586] (32012)
  • [2009-04-11 12:09]

Hi Gert. Congrats on the first for you on this unusual looking Duck. I must say i had never seen or heard of it till today so thanks for posting. You have taken a goodclose up with a side view so we can see the feather markings and long tail. Well done TFS.
Nick..
Have a nice Easter

Ciao Gert,great capture of lovely duck with fantastic colors, wonderful reflections, fine details and splendid sharpness, very well done, Happy Easter, ciao Silvio

Hello Gert
what a fantastic picture of Long-tailed Duck with the summer plumage, outstanding sharpness and marvellous colours, very beautiful light in a very nice composition
very well done
TFS
Have a good Easter Weekend
Maurizio

hello Gert

congratulation to your capture of this speecies of duck,
excellent photo with fine POV, DOF and framing,
excellent luminosity, great sharpness and details
of the duck, i love the waves forms on the image,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2009-04-11 13:09]

Hi Gert,

I hope everyone looks at the larger version too because it is sensational. How exciting to get such a marvelous shot of an unusual duck. The colors are beautiful. The details of his face, eye, tail and feathers are excellent. I love the white puff on the top of his head. He looks fantastic in the beautiful blue water.

Jane

Hello Gert
this duck is wonderful, I like his long tail, the colors of his plumage and his beak, his white crest and his red eye. the details are so sharp and the pose so beautiful
a brillant shot !
I like the color and the movement of the water too
TFS Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3062 W: 231 N: 6152] (21016)
  • [2009-04-12 18:10]

That is an amazing looking duck, Gert.
I am so glad you caught it with your camera and are able to share it with us with such exquisite details. Beautiful light and perfect POV to show off the unusual plumage and hairdo. : )
Happy Easter and TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3800 W: 190 N: 11298] (34839)
  • [2009-04-14 9:50]

Hej Gert,
A fine capture of an Alfågel that is moulting to breeding plumage. Technically this is excellent: we have them during the winter in Skåne but this year there were not so many and it is rare to get as close as 15 metres.
Well done MF and thanks for sharing this.
Hälsningar,
Ivan

Jag överväger ochså att dra ur TN , det är inte samma stämningen som förr och som du säger är det alldeles för mycket ryggdunkande och för lite om natur och fotografi. Jag är med på Pbase som funkar bra som en personlig fotosida men man kommunicera mycket lite.

excellent capture, Gert. congratulations indeed. it is one of my favourite species. great sharpness and eyes contact. coloration, exposure and light using wonderful. thanks for sharing this beauty. have a nice day
Ahmet

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