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Spotted Nutcrucker (Nötkråka)


Spotted Nutcrucker (Nötkråka)
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Ellstrom (ellis49) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3645 W: 349 N: 8886] (28665)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-09-28
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, Digital RAW 200
Exposure: f/4, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-03-23 7:59
Viewed: 955
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
My post from yesterday was deleted because of my clumsiness, instead of click on edit I clicked on delete, I will re-post it later. 

I have been digging in my archives again and find this; it’s taken back in 2005.
This bird, the Spotted Nutcracker or nutcracker, is not common but not rare, it lives in fir forest in Scandinavia and northern Europe. There is also another species of nutcracker with a thin bill that lives in Russia, Siberia and all the way to Japan. Even bird experts have problem to see the difference.
The birds that lives here are very shy and don’t let you come close.
But In the autumn the nutcracker from the east come over here quite often and they are not shy.
I think this individual is one from the east since it was not afraid and let my come close.
The quality of this picture is not the best but I want to share it with you since it is not often seen on TN.
I hope you like the Nutcracker.

PLS
No points for this, I have given them up like some others. I have turn of the points, so don’t waste your green ones.

The Spotted Nutcracker, or just Nutcracker, (Nucifraga caryocatactes) is a passerine bird slightly larger than the Eurasian Jay. It has a much larger bill and a slimmer looking head without any crest. The feathering over its body is predominantly a chocolate brown with distinct white spots and streaks. The wings and upper tail are virtually black with a greenish-blue gloss. It is one of two species of nutcracker, the other, Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), replacing it in western North America.
The Spotted Nutcracker has an extensive range forming a broad swath east-west from Scandinavia right across northern Europe, Siberia and to eastern Asia, including Japan, inhabiting the huge taiga conifer forests in the north.
Three further disjunct populations occur in mountain conifer forests further south, one centered on the mountains of central and southeast Europe (the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkan Peninsula mountains); another in the western Himalaya; and the third in western China seaboard and separated from the northern population by a relatively small gap in the north centre of China. Some of the populations can be separated on bill size

Source and more info in different language here

Canon 70-300mm/4.0-5.6 IS USM,
ISO 200, Raw-format. multi metering.
Converted, Levels, Contrast, Crop, resized to 800 pixels, Smart sharpen. I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 for PP
jaycee, crs, gerbilratz, Alex99, Hil, CeltickRanger, eqshannon, vanderschelden, boreocypriensis, Luis52, angela926, dejo, bobcat08, goldyrs has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Janice: Olderellis49 1 03-23 23:59
To uleko: Nötkråkanellis49 3 03-23 13:44
To Argus: Kotteellis49 1 03-23 09:12
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Critiques [Translate]

  •      
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1875 W: 2 N: 5064] (19360)
  • [2008-03-23 8:05]

Hi Gert. What a very good close up of the Nutcrucker . This is a bird i have never seen so thanks for posting. Your capture has fine detail ans rich clours.The white markings look as if they have been flicked on with a paint brush. nature is amazing when it comes to birds. well done TFS.
Nick.

Hello Gert,
Great photo of this Spotted Nutcracker. Excellent sharpness and details. Beautiful natural colours. Very good POV and composition and nice OOF BG.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2342 W: 164 N: 7019] (22222)
  • [2008-03-23 8:50]
  • [+]

Hej Gert,
I haven't seen a Nutcracker for years and feel very envious! They're lovely birds and you've captured this one very nicely on the ground. Great focus on the eye and I love the sharp details of the beautiful plumage. Great!!
Many thanks and cheers, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2456 W: 132 N: 7004] (21879)
  • [2008-03-23 9:04]
  • [+]

Hej Gert,
Though I have some old digiscoped shots of the Nutcracker taken in Umeå I have nothing as good as this. Though this is a relatively old image the quality is excellent IMHO and I like the low POV, pose and composition. The mud on the bill is interesting and makes one wonder if it also feeds on worms as well as seeds and the kernels of cherry stones.
Thanks for sharing this excellent image of a bird not often seen on TN.
Hälsningar,
Ivan

Åtta minus imorse men ingen vind och framför allt SOL!

  •      
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1658 W: 8 N: 4248] (13845)
  • [2008-03-23 9:06]

Hi Gert,

I have never seen a Nutcracker before but from this excellent shot I would recognize one if I came across one. Such beautiful shades of brown with those wonderful white markings. Details are crisp and clear - as always. A lovely pose and a lovely setting.

Jane

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 192 W: 0 N: 274] (1151)
  • [2008-03-23 9:29]

Hi Gert,

You did an excelent photo of this bird. Very good clear image making posible to observ even the most delicate details of bird's plumage. Very good natural looking colors. Blurry backgroung looks great against the clear image of the bird.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

  •      
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3060 W: 231 N: 5811] (19544)
  • [2008-03-23 10:00]

Hi Gert,
Thanks for posting a bird I have never seen before.
Very sharp details.
Excellent close-up and low POV.
Were you crawling on the grass to get this one?
Happy Easter!
ManYee

Hi Gert,

Good work.Great shot,splendid capture with excellent details.I liked very much.

Wonderful colouration and patterns to this bird,I have never seen one before, so seeing this is good. Really sharp well focused and an interesting note to go with it.

I would want to give you points, but I will respect your wishes. best and kind regards h.

  •      
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2975 W: 148 N: 4398] (14271)
  • [2008-03-23 11:28]

Hi Gert.
I hope you really will post deleted shot again. I will restore my comments word by word :))).

I see you produce amazing shot with every camera of any brand. Wonderful scene, amazing rich colours and great DOF (not shallow, note so wide). Exposure, lights and colours are fantastic as well as the framing and composition. Dry leaves and cone decorate the grass carpet excellently. Bravo and my warm greetings.
Alexei.

  •      
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 741 W: 11 N: 1381] (4761)
  • [2008-03-23 12:00]

Hi Gert,

Wonderful shot of this lovely bird that I'm seeing for the first time it shows that you don't have to have bright coloured featehr to look striking, very nice markings shown perfectly with such good sharpness, nice natural colours and good light too.

Hil

hello Gert

great close-up shot of this Spotted Nutcrucker, i love your low POV,
excellent DOF, excellent luminosity of the image and
excellent shaprness and details of the bird, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1988 W: 6 N: 1927] (12963)
  • [2008-03-23 12:09]

Dear friend,
beautiful work and original capture, interesting note and plumage,
good colors and sharpness.
Many greetings Gert and family...

I have heard many stories of this bird but this is my first glance. And it is a wonderful bird. It lives up to it's good name, and your image lives up to your high standards as well...
Bob

Hello Gert,
Very good archive photo. You achieved a formal compo.
Good texture.
Well done
TFS
Annick

Hi Gert,
What a beautiful and sweet bird, Spotted Nutcracker which I have not seen before. I liked its spotted pattern very much. Your capture is excellent as usual friend. TFS.
Cheers,

Bayram

Hi Gert,
I do think this is a really good quality shot... The sharpness is really good and the DOF is just the right one to capture all bird details and some around him... TFS, Marta

  •      
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1559 W: 233 N: 5222] (18351)
  • [2008-03-23 15:26]

A very good shot of this aptly named bird.
I love the patterns on its plumage.
Superb clarity and detail.
Great composition as well.
Nice light and perfect exposure.
Well done Gert!

Joe

Hi Gert,

Haven't seen these since I moved from Finland. Great close-up shot with good detail. (Would give full points)

Thanks

Pekka

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1013 W: 5 N: 2750] (9982)
  • [2008-03-23 18:59]

Hola Gert.
Muy hermosa foto de este especimen. Excelente la nitidez lograda y con muy buena iluminacion. Un momento muy bello en esta presentacion. La nota escrita es interesante tambien.
Saludos
Luis52.

Hello Gert,
Very nice capture, excellent composition and good pov, fantastic sharpness, excellent depth of field and superb details, beautiful colors and contrast, very nice light and great pose.
Angela

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3398 W: 144 N: 5764] (17088)
  • [2008-03-23 23:25]
  • [+]

Hey Gert, old friend - that's what happen when you get old - you press the wrong buttons and delete more than you want to.

I'm pleased you said: "The quality of this picture is not the best," as I thought my eyesight had started to fuzz over - that's what happens when you get old!! LIKE ME!!

He is a pretty fellow with his brown and white designs.

Thank you for sharing
JAnice

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 354 W: 51 N: 475] (2048)
  • [2008-03-24 1:29]

Hello Gert,
nice pic,
great shot of this beautiful Nutcruker!
great POV & sharpness
Dejan

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 477 W: 0 N: 925] (7961)
  • [2008-03-24 9:51]

Hi Gert,

This bird is very rare in Holland. You caught it very sharp and the great details in the feathers are clear. Well done.

regard,
Zeno.

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 818 W: 4 N: 2026] (9534)
  • [2008-03-24 10:36]

Gert very nice compo and good one. The sharpness is amazing and also the view.ganesh

Hello Gert,

I have never seen a Nutcracker before but this is an excellent shot. Very fine details aspecialy the feathers. Excellent close-up and low POV. As you know I like low POV's. Great POV, DOF and BG. And forget what Janice said to you: "Hey Gert, old friend - that's what happen when you get old - you press the wrong buttons and delete more than you want to" (-: Have a nice day and TFS BOB

What a shot, gert!At eye-level, too!
Very well done!
Cheers!
Goldy

Hi Gert
this is a nice bird, the name in spanish is "cascanueces). great shot.
Cheers.
Jorge

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