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Cold Covey


Cold Covey
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1111 W: 1 N: 4518] (15132)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-01
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 20D, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/11, 1/1000 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-02-05 5:21
Viewed: 663
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Todays post is a covey of Gray Partridge. They are all fluffed up against the -25 celcius temperature of that day. They were scratching away the snow looking for seeds. These birds are normally hard to get close to, but I think the cold weather helped in that regard.

Gray Partridge
Perdix perdix
Also known as - Hun, Hungarian Partridge.


General Description

By Gustave J. Yaki


This introduced species' normal range is in western Eurasia from Britain east to northern Russia, and south to southern Europe, Turkey, northern Iran, Turkestan and Mongolia. Stock was brought to North America and widely introduced for hunting purposes, from Hungary (hence its alternate name, Hungarian Partridge) in the early 1900s. It is now believed that some of introduced species may have carried diseases which caused major declines in native gamebird populations, similar to the impact that Europeans had on the native Indians. Now, many once well-established introduced populations have also recently declined or disappeared altogether. Gray Partridges are still abundant in the prairie provinces. The Alberta population apparently is still thriving where it occurs in the southern and central part of the province.

Its diet includes waste grain, weed seeds, green plants and many insects.

The nest is a hollow on the ground, lined with grasses. The 9-20 eggs are incubated by the female for about 24 days. As soon as the young have all hatched and are dry, the family leaves the nest. The young find their own food but are brooded and guarded by both adults. Wing-feathers soon appear, and they can flutter at 10-11 days and fully fly at 16 days. The family remains together until the next spring.
K9madtex, rousettus, vanderschelden, eqshannon, Jamesp, nglen, CeltickRanger, NinaM, JPlumb, pablominto, Luis52 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Good title and note. They do look cold. I have not seen this species before. TFS.

Hi Rick,
They look very lovely. In summer, they also occur here. I dont know for this period. If present, they cold as like those on your great capture. You present them with great focus, POV and composition. white balance very nice as like title and notes.
TFS, well done
Ahmet

Hello Rick,
You can almost feel the cold:-). Poor animals.
Why aren't they closer to each other; probably not efficient to get their seeds doing so...
TFS
Annick

Hi Rick
You have captured really cold atmosphere here with this Gray Partridge.
TFS
Ralf

Now having done one with quail in snow, I am not quiet surprised...and I haev seen this in grouse up in the wilds..they will sometimes hide in bushes and when they hear/see us coming, they give off that beating sound...and ya know they are ready to fly off..good hunting tip I suppose although I o longer participate:-0 Nice image Rick...and here we thought nature disappeared in winter! Ha!

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1911 W: 8 N: 4976] (16095)
  • [2008-02-05 8:24]

Hi Rick,

Those poor Partridges look like they are freezing. I got cold looking at this picture. I'm surprised they are out there in the open like that. Interesting picture. I bet they can't wait for spring to come.

Jane

Good capture! It really looks, as if they were freezing their #$% off. A bit drab what colors and contrast is concerned, but very well done under the circumstances.
Good job!
Cheers, Klaus

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1888 W: 245 N: 6180] (22002)
  • [2008-02-05 9:26]

Woah how do they stay warm in this place!
These are very fine-looking birds.
Great exposure that keeps the colour and detail in the Partridge.
Well composed and a good POV.
Very sharp.
Well done Rick,
Joe

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 0 N: 5107] (15234)
  • [2008-02-05 10:22]

Hi Rick

Great shot - very pleasing visually This would make a great Christmas card.

James

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5960] (22528)
  • [2008-02-05 12:49]

Hi RIck. Poor things lucky to survive -25 . you were lucky to get so close . good detail and natural colours. they look well fed but as you say all fluffed up against the cold. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2108 W: 6 N: 2116] (13589)
  • [2008-02-05 13:56]

Hola amigo,
excelente trabajo,
detalles y buen pov,
saludos Rick

hello Rick

with your image i am learning something, in Alberta there
is gray partridge ? i kno that there is in Manitoba and
Saskatchewan but until today i din'nt kno that there is
in Aleberta too, thanks for your superb shot,
one thing Rick, for the POV, i would more be at their level

TFS

Asbed

Great to see. I've never seen one before. It's a good shot and appealing to look at. Nice going.

  • Great 
  • JPlumb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 644 W: 160 N: 894] (2837)
  • [2008-02-05 20:02]

Hi Rick, this would be an interesting encounter. So cold weather is good for something. The covey is well seen and captured on your part.

Thanks, John

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-02-05 20:26]

Hello Rick

Well done,you managed an excellent close up of these cold birds.
The focus and sharpness are very good.The colours are natural and the natural setting is super.
Nicely done.
TFS
Rob

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 515 W: 8 N: 1135] (4182)
  • [2008-02-05 22:27]

Hello Rick,
Very nice congregation, beautiful details and
composition.. Well done

Everton

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
  • [2008-02-06 9:59]

I love those little balls of feathers, I love the colours of these feathers. What a nice view you captured for us, Rick, it is lovely and perfectly photographed with your usual technical photographic skills and your artistic eye for us. Maybe you don't realize it yet but you've been out in the wild so much that you're becoming a wild animal yourself: that's why they're not afraid anymore when you get close. Bye bye!

Francine

Hello Rick,
This is a lovely group capture!
I can see the cold affects them as they look like footballs with eyes...
A well framed group with fine colours & details!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1026 W: 5 N: 2888] (10447)
  • [2008-02-06 10:49]

Hi Rick.
Some times it is easy to take a photo, it happens to all of us i guess, but some other times You have to be out there with a cold weather, or like me to be in a lot of heavy sun
(100F) and come back home with an empy hands.
but I like it anyway.
Luis52.

Hi Rick,
En effet, ils ont l'air d'avoir très froid, on sent le froid dans cette photo, bien rendu.
Bravo
Marie

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