<< Previous Next >>

Avocet


Avocet
Photo Information
Copyright: Joe Kellard (joey) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1996 W: 245 N: 6508] (23200)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-30
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi), Sigma APO 500mm f/4.5 EX DG HSM, Digital ISO-400
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/2000 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-05 1:54
Viewed: 512
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Here's a body shot of an Avocet. I took this with Pekka's massive 500mm and a 1.4x converter, without of which I would never have got any body shots!

The four species of Avocets are waders in the same avian family as the stilts. They are found in warm or hot climates.

They have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills (giving their scientific name Recurvirostra) which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer. The plumage is pied, sometimes also with some red.

The avocets have webbed feet and they will readily swim. Their diet consists of aquatic insects and other small creatures.

They nest on the ground in loose colonies. In estuarine settings they may feed on exposed bay muds or mudflats.

The Pied Avocet is the emblem of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The four species, all in the genus Recurvirostra, are:

Pied Avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta
American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana
Red-necked Avocet, Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
Andean Avocet, Recurvirostra andina
In a large colony they are aggressively defensive and chase off any other species of birds that try to nest among or near them. That causes the annoyed remark "Avocet : Exocet" from some British birdwatchers. [1]

They had been extinct in Britain for a long time because of land reclamation of their habitat and persecution by skin and egg collectors, but during or soon after World War II started breeding on reclaimed land near the Wash which was returned to salt marsh to make difficulties for any landing German invaders.

Thankyou for looking and I hope you have a great weekend!

boreocypriensis, elizabeth, pekkavalo1, Alex99, maurydv, marhowie, sandpiper2, SelenE, eqshannon, nglen, red45, LordPotty, Luis52, haraprasan, Jamesp 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 red45: Scrubbedjoey 1 07-05 12:48
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Joe, good morning!
A splendid shot of this beautiful Avocet.
LOvely details on its plumage with soft lighting.
Great DOF and POV.
TFS and cheers OwlMan:-)

Bayram

Hi Joe
Good close shot of this bird with good detail. The POV is well chosen and the DOF is spot on.
Well done.
Cheers
Elizabeth

Hi Joe,
Very good shot of an avocet,
great details and natural colors,
well focused and well framed
well done
TFS and regards
Jean-Michel

Hi Joe,

Another excellent Avocet shot. Good compoition and pose, details are pin-sharp and I like the impression on the birds face: clearly looking for the next subject for the bullying.

TFS

Best wishes

Pekka

Hi Joe,

sharp image. natural colors. love the beak.

subhayan.

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 695] (5747)
  • [2008-07-05 2:51]

hi joe,
belle réalisation naturelle, le tout est sobrement présenté. Fins détails sur une bonne lumière diffuse.

gl

Splendida cattura di avocetta, eccellente POV, molto bella la composizione con l'avocetta che cammina "sonnachiosa" nell'acqua bassa, ottima nitidezza, molto belli i colori e BG neutro. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3237 W: 154 N: 4942] (15909)
  • [2008-07-05 3:47]

Hi Joe.
You have used monster telelens system greatly. Simply amazing sharpness and details of the attractive bird. Exposure of the image is spot on despite the contrast colouration. Framing and composition are blameless too. Well done, my friend. Bravo.
Alexei.

Hi Joe,
Love the upturned bill on the Avocet..Now if there was a little fishy squirmin' on the end of it you'd have a candidate for National Geographic ;-}
Another great shot with Pekka's "bigma" mf,
Howard

Hi Joe

So WW2 was benifical to shorebirds, mmmm an interesting note.

Great shot of the avocet, taken with that massive lens, great stuff.
Great composition
Good sharpness
Good DOF
Good POV

Chris

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1448 W: 76 N: 3169] (10395)
  • [2008-07-05 5:07]

Hello Joe,
Fantastic photo of this Avocet. Beautiful natural colours and very sharp.
We don't have a hot or warm climate here in Holland, but there are many Avocets.
Excellent POV, DOF and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2447 W: 63 N: 4087] (13166)
  • [2008-07-05 6:41]

Hi Joe,
I liked your POV, and you got a very good result with 500mm + the converter. White plumage is well exposed. Good composition.
TFS
Enjoy the weekend,
Selen

Your bird should have it's boots on. the water is a bit murky eh? Fine quality image I have come to expect on a daily basis from such a tenacious person. Very nice. First in flight and now in wading...I shall know it when I see it, which more than likely will be on my trip to England which isn't happening soon...if ever..so this image will have to suffice.
Bob

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2225 W: 10 N: 6271] (23562)
  • [2008-07-05 11:50]

Hi Joe. Now thats what you call a lens you used . a monster but you have got a great picture of the bird from it. The whites of the featehrs look fine with good detail. and a nice POV. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2841 W: 75 N: 8088] (27399)
  • [2008-07-05 12:37]
  • [+]

Hi Joe!

Good, very good, this time bird looks much cleaner :-) Well exposed, detailed shot. As I wrote before - I like black and white plumage and funny looking [but useful] beak. Good work with your loooong lens!

Wow,this is a beautiful shot of the Avocet Joe. Your other one of the 3 looks great,but I'll have to critique that later.
We're about to set off on a long drive up the coast.
Catch you this evening.
Cheers
Steve

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1025 W: 5 N: 2899] (10487)
  • [2008-07-05 14:28]

Hola Joe.
Este Avoceto luce sus atributos en esta imagen gracias a la calidad de la foto. Hermosos colores en su plumaje y largo pico. La pose en el agua buscando comida es un detalle exelente.
Saludos Joe.
Luis52.

Hello Joe....Beautiful Avocet...Clear detail and nice pose....Simple shot...Well done...Honestly I like all your picture find them very good ...Very impressive ....All the best, Leyla.

Well done, Joe.
A long focal length which you managed to use very well to capture this extraordinary upcurved bill..:-)
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1817 W: 29 N: 5281] (17302)
  • [2008-07-06 0:25]

Hi Joe,
Wonderful shot of this great looking Avocat looking out for food in muddy waters. Very impressive sharpness and colours on its plumage with superb handling of light and exposure levels. The bill looks so elegant and special. Excellent DOF, POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

Hi Joe,
A nice capture of this Avocet. Very good details and a very nice composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1030 W: 4 N: 2702] (12410)
  • [2008-07-06 4:43]

Hello Joey, you have shot it beautifully. Excellent sharp image and brilliant focus. Thanks for sharing this. Ganesh

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1330 W: 0 N: 5286] (15770)
  • [2008-07-06 23:20]

Hi Joe

Great shot- excellent detail in the white areas. Excellent POV too.

James

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-07-08 7:42]

Hello Joe

I have never seen an avocet before.
The bills are quite unique.
Excellent focus with lovely plumage detail.
Very good low pov .
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2885 W: 169 N: 8419] (26122)
  • [2008-07-10 8:36]

Hello Joe,
I have missed your latest shots during my absence and this one caught my eye, wondering how you could achieve such a fin close portrait of an Avocet with your equipment! Reading your note put me wise: it was kind of Pekka to lend you his heavy lens and you made good use of it, catching the avocet in a fine pose and from a great POV.
TFS sharing this beauty,
Ivan

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF