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Pine Grosbeak couple


Pine Grosbeak couple
Photo Information
Copyright: Mario Belanger (EOSF1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 100-400 F4-5.6 L IS USM, ISO 200, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-02 7:41
Viewed: 2270
Points: 66
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [French]
A female Pine Grosbeak (focused) and a male (unfocused)(Pinicola enucleator 20-25cm) are standidng back to back on a spruce tree.

From: www.birds.cornell.edu
One of the larger members of its family, the Pine Grosbeak is a bird of the boreal forests, found across northern Eurasia and North America, and south into the mountains of western Canada and the United States. A large, unwary finch, it makes periodic winter irruptions into southern Canada and northern United States. It is the largest and rarest of the "winter finches."
Cool Facts
The tameness and slow-moving behavior of the Pine Grosbeak gave rise to local name in Newfoundland of "mope."
Winter flocks may stay near a tree with abundant fruit until all of it is consumed.
Winter irruptions are infrequent and irregular. To see an illustration of the invasion of the winter 1997-98, based on data gathered through BirdSource's Winter Finch Survey, click here.
A breeding adult Pine Grosbeak develops pouches in the floor of its mouth for carrying food to its young.
During most of the year, 99% of diet is vegetable matter, especially buds, seeds, and fruits of spruce, pine, juniper, elm, maple, mountain ash, apple, and crabapple. It feeds insects and spiders to its young, though, often mixed with plant foods. It drinks water or eats snow daily.
Description
topSize: 20-25 cm (8-10 in)
Wingspan: 33 cm (13 in)
Large finch; medium-sized songbird.
Plump, heavy-chested.
Dark wings with two white wingbars.
Large stubby curved bill.
Male red.
Blackish-brown tail and wings.
Tail long and slightly forked.
Eyes black.
Bill dark.
Legs dark.
Sex Differences
Sexually dimorphic: Male with rosy-red head, chest and back, rest gray; females with yellow-olive where male has red.
Male
Pinkish-red head, breast, back and rump. Streaked back. White undertail coverts. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Female
Yellowish olive head and rump. Gray underparts and back. Blackish brown wings and tail. White wingbars and tertial edges.
Immature
Immature male usually is indistinguishable from immature or adult female until the second year when it molts and grows new reddish feathers. Some young males have some red or orange feathers in the body plumage, which females apparently lack. Females average duller than males (especially on the crown and rump) and have a lighter russet tinge to the head or lighter olive tinge to the breast than males. The color of the head and body is often golden orange or reddish bronze in males, in contrast to golden yellow of the female, and the chin is often buffier or more brown-gray than in the female.
Sound
Song is a sequence of clear, warbling, flute-like notes. Flight calls vary geographically, but can sound like "tee-tee-tew," resembling calls of Greater Yellowlegs.
Range
Breeds in subarctic and subalpine coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia.
Winter Range
Winters mainly in breeding range, but may go farther south irregularly to southern Canada and northern United States.
Habitat
Breeds in open coniferous forests.
Wintering areas determined by food availability, so found in wider variety of habitats, including urban areas.
Found in flocks in winter; strongly territorial in breeding season. Distinctive call note often given in flight.
Conservation Status
Status largely unknown because of difficulty of assessing populations.
Other Names
Durbec des sapins (French)
Camachuelo picogrueso (Spanish)
NinaM, goldyrs, cataclysta, fartash, eqshannon, Argus, PaulH, Amadeo, jaycee, Luis52, gracious, gerbilratz, pekkavalo1, jconceicao, maurydv, Proframe, CeltickRanger, JPlumb, albert, Heaven, Islander_, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 801 W: 3 N: 2100] (6596)
  • [2008-04-02 7:45]

Salut Mario, nous sommes voisins aujourd'hui! Et comme je suis heureuse d'être accompagnée d'un si beau couple, wow! La composition est réussie, c'est vraiment très beau. Tu sais, je ne veux plus critiquer ta technique, car j'apprends à voir tes photos et je n'ai rien à dire, c'est parfait! Et regarde cette lumière sur la femelle, c'est superbe. Je n'en reviens toujours pas à quel point tu sais utiliser la belle lumière. Merci!

Francine

Hello Mario
Excellent shot of this Pine Grosbeak couple,
Perfect DOF,colors and POV.Superb shot my friend.

Good Luck
Fartash

How nice of you to remember:-) Two colours. Two birds...very cool..It really spices up the image well and makes for a change in the daily routine...fine Mario. thanks much for that one!
Bob

Mario,
I never knew that females and males were different coloured!
Great composition!
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3821 W: 190 N: 11376] (35063)
  • [2008-04-02 7:52]

Hello Mario,
Your Pine Grosbeak images are all top notch and this is no exception, This is an excellent capture of the female with fine sharpness, pose and from a pleasing POV. I like the composition with the bright coloured male in the OOF BG.
Thanks for sharing this beauty,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1112 W: 23 N: 3660] (13089)
  • [2008-04-02 7:52]

Hi Mario,
very nice, two for the price of one! Lovely mix of colours that compliment each other here very well indeed. Lovely pose of this female looking our from her vantage point. Technically as excellent as ever.
tfs
Paul

Bonjour Mario,

Superbe composition. C'est bien d'avoir les deux membres du couple l'un à côté de l'autre, même si le mâle est hors focus. Très belle lumière et belles couleurs.
Bonne journée,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1978 W: 6 N: 5527] (19673)
  • [2008-04-02 8:03]

Salut Mario,cette fois encore plus belle,toujours une nouvelle surprise avec des oiseux et des ambiences extraordinaires,mes plus gros compliments,cette couple dans la neige est incroyable,Luciano

Hello Mario , very good comp , colors and also shrpnss , good capture of double , TFS .

Hola Mario, Una bonita fotografia, con una excelente composición, bien iluminada. Un saludo

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2008-04-02 10:00]

Hi Mario,

How lucky were you to capture this couple together? It was nice of him to allow her to have center stage. She is absolutely beautiful - wonderful colors, details and pose. He is always a joy to see.

Jane

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
  • [2008-04-02 10:11]

Hola Mario.
Dont konw what to say. Looking at this beautiful photo, I think birds are one of the most beautiful creatures made by God. I love all of them.
Excellent photo. great work My friend.
Luis52.

Hi Mario

Just beautiful. Well composed, very good light, saturation of colour looks spot on and nicely presented. :-)

Hello Mario,
Such a beauty with two different colour birds! very pretty!
great pose of the front one in total sharpness, good colour and details
well done always
Tony

hello Mario, a perfect pair...so different in colours is amazing. great POV and really good DoF. fine and detailed work with excellent notes.

regards h

Hello Mario,

Very beautiful picture with great composition, pleasant colours, soft BG blur. Very good work.

TFS

Pekka

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2008-04-02 13:44]

A superb shot of this female and male Grosbeak!
What great timing and skill to capture them both together!
I really like how the male is OOF while the female is razor-sharp.
Great colours and light.
Superb composition.
Very good work Mario!
Thanks for sharing this original shot,

Joe

Hello Mario,

Great shot.Beautiful colours.Good sharpness and composition.

Splendida composizione, penso che sei fortunato a fotografare questi bellissimi uccelli, ma ancora di più lo siamo noi nel poterli ammirare attraverso le tue immagini. Una scenografia studiata in ogni dettaglio e post-produzione estremamente curata per un risultato di altissimo livello. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

Beautiful image and great note Mario.
Excellent how you've captured both male and female in the same frame.
Superb lighting and most wonderful fethar details and colrs.
Great work like always. TFS!!!

Best regards, Harry

Bonsoir Mario,
Belle présentation et et composition de ce gentfil petit couple de Durbec des Sapins, beaux contraste et superbes couleurs, belle netteté sur le sujet celui de devant, de toute beauté..Bravo..
Michel

The two made a very good composition. I am totally impressed with the focus on the front bird.
Such good details Mario.
Sorry I have not been around lately. I miss all these.
Doug

Hi Mario
Great double presentation. Male and female on one image. Interesting effect with OOF bird in backgound. Nice compo, good contrast and sharpness
TFS
Krzysztof

Hi Mario, I think this is a first for me, I don't remember seeing a shot of a female Pine Grosbeak, and you got the male with her. I like this composition with her in good sharp detail and him a little softer in the background. Colour is very good with excellent detail, very excellent presentation all around.

Thanks, John

Bela foto de qualidade exelente meus parabéns por esta magnifica foto.
NIlson

Hello Mario,
Belle composition, meme si le male n'est pas en focus cela ajoute une agreable tache de couleur, la femelle est, quant a elle superbement exposee
Bien vu
Albert

salut Mario

deux pour le prix de un, mais dommage que le mâle soit hors focus,
excellent POV et DOF, belle luminosité, belle douceur
dans les couleurs de la composition, excellents détails, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • RP1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 163 W: 1 N: 119] (2404)
  • [2008-04-03 16:04]

Salut Mario,
Quelle belle photo tu as capturé. C'est la première fois que je vois une photo ou on peut voire le couple sur la même photo. J'aime bien voire le mâle avec des couleur plus vives en retrais de la femelle. C'est comme s'il se plaisait en retrait pour qu'on puisse admirer la beauté de sa compagne.

Hi Mario!

Is it possible to improve a picture like this one? I guess not.

It's simply perfect, and moreover so pleasant and harmonic.

The composition is probably the best I've ever seen concerning birds on TN: the coloured bird - the male - seems to be the mirror-reflection of the one in the foreground! Just great, I'm a bit sorry not to find any other word, but what could I say more?

Congratulations!

Kind regards

Markus

Hello Mario.
Wow! Male and female in one photo. I love the composition but I think that a little bigger DOF would improve. But well, it's still a great posting my friend.
TFS
Wojciech

Bonsoir Mario,

Beau couple avec une perspective admirable! Merci,

Eugène

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-04-14 19:53]

Hello Mario

A wonderful capture of these two showing the sexual dimorphism of this species.
The setting is beautiful and creates a lovely artistic look.
Excellent colours and lighting.
This reminds me of Joe's (Jossim) wonderful image of these birds.
Excellent POV and DOF.
TFS

Rob

Bonjour Mario,

Peut-on dire que la femelle domine le male. La capture des deux oiseaux est un atout à la composition. La prise de vue permet de distinguer les détails et les couleurs de l'oiseau. La luminosité rehausse la beauté des couleurs. Le sujet est bien cadré. Bonne journée

Pierre

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