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First of this Spring


First of this Spring
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: 2008-03-16
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 40D, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-03-21 4:39
Viewed: 533
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
First I have to pass a big "Thank You" to all of you for encouraging Lucy with your nice comments on her image the other day. Secondly I would like to tell you about a couple of news stories that occurred in Medicine Hat the last couple of days. First a lady walking her dog was attacked by two pit bulls she lost her middle finger in an attempt to get one of the pit bulls to release her small dog from his jaws. Then another lady walking her dog in natural area in Medicine Hat was surprised when a cougar ran across her path. The reason I bring these stories up is that when we are out where ever it may be we should always be aware or our surroundings, a little attention can be great prevention be it from animal or human threats.

Now todays' posting is an American Robin the first of this spring for me. He is fluffed up warding off the morning chill. This was captured just outside Medicine Hat.

American Robin
Turdus migratorius
General Description

By Gustave J. Yaki


One of the most widespread North American birds today, the familiar and confiding robin breeds across the continent from the treeline southward, and in the mountains to southern Mexico. They winter mainly in the southern USA. They are found breeding throughout Alberta wherever there is a tree from which they can sing and hide their nest. Before the arrival of Europeans, robins would have been absent from the grassland region, except along valleys, due to the lack of trees then.

This so-called "Harbinger of Spring", equally at home in the city or the forest, often overwinters in southern Alberta, sometimes in considerable numbers. Usually, the first true migrants appear from late February to mid March. The males are the first to arrive, followed three weeks later by the females. In mid summer, after breeding is complete, robins gather in large flocks, often along streams where there are abundant fruiting shrubs. Autumn migration peaks in September, with most birds gone by early November, however some robins are recorded on almost every Christmas Bird Count in Calgary and surrounding areas.

Everyone has seen the robin hopping across the lawn, cocking his head as if to listen, but actually to look for earthworms, one of his most favoured foods. Additional food items include insects and other invertebrates, plus fruit, both wild and domesticated.

The nest is usually hidden in trees or shrubs but often on ledges about man-made structures, from 1-15 m high. It is a substantial well-shaped cup. With a base of twigs, plant stems and grass, and a wall of mud, it is lined with fine grasses or other available soft material. It often take a week or more to construct, but under ideal conditions, one nest was fully finished in only 12 hours. The four attractive, unmarked, blue eggs are mostly incubated by the female for about 12 days. They young mostly leave the nest when two weeks old.
mariki, ellis49, eqshannon, maurydv, CeltickRanger, jaycee, fartash, earthtraveler, gerbilratz, angela926, NinaM, Luis52, goldyrs, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Art_R: ThanksAdanac 1 03-21 07:08
To bobair: ThanksAdanac 1 03-21 07:06
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Rick,
a very good first one, it's always nice when yoo got the for the season.
Well composed with lovely colours and fine details.
Well done.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1888 W: 245 N: 6180] (22002)
  • [2008-03-21 6:25]

Very, very sharp shot of this American Robin!
The clarity here is exceptional!
Nice bright colours and superb exposure.
Well composed as always.
And to those two stories: Yikes! The moral is a very good one to point out.
Well done Rick!
Cheers,

Joe

Good morning to you Rick.It is nice to see this, your first robin of the year(I'm still waiting to see mine).Robins may not be the first back in the spring but they sure are the most visible and welcome at that.I like the way this fellow is puffed-up sitting on his perch.The colour is good as is the focus as well as the typical point of view for this shot.I am curious as to what you think of your 40D as with myself I'm not as thrilled with it as I was with the 30D.I find my 40D to be a more finicky camera to use and one that has some auto focus issues that can lead to disappointment when tracking moving subjects.Thank you for sharing this,your first robin of this year.I hope to get a classic robin pulling the worm out of the ground shot this year.Happy Easter to you and Lucy. Bob

Life is a treacherous path one day and a sign of new life the next. You show here a Robin in spring, but still rumpled up a bit for warmth. The sun must move a bit closer to the Northern hemisphere and then all shall be well...or so we are told...Very nicely done Rick and with addition of some fine notes!
Bob

Bellissima immagine, ottimi POV e composizione ambientata, molto bella la posa e molto buoni i dettagli del piumaggio, ottimi i colori e la luce diffusa. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • Art_R Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 201 W: 16 N: 483] (1995)
  • [2008-03-21 6:45]
  • [+]

Hi Rick , good advice in your notes.

nice photo of this robin , it surely must be an 'early bird' I have yet to see any here in High River.

the over all color temperature of your photo sure reflects Alberta weather , and that sunny red breast is a welcome sign of spring,

regards , and Happy Easter

Art

hello Rick

very beautiful shot of the American Robin, i listened
that they arrive in Montréal but did'nt saw yet, i love his typical
pose of the American Robin, excellent POV and framing,
lovely luminosity, excellent DOF, excellent sharpness and details,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1911 W: 8 N: 4976] (16095)
  • [2008-03-21 8:38]

Hi Rick,

The harbinger of spring!! He is so puffed up - and probably wondering why it's so cold. He is very beautiful though - with wonderful Robin colors. Excellent details of his not too happy face, wings and plummage. A wonderful pose in the still leafless tree. Here too we have to be aware of our surroundings. We're always on the lookout for coyotes, javelinas and bobcats.

Jane

Hello Rick
Very intersting spieces to shoot,
Perfect details,exposure and POV,Welldone my friend.

Regards
Fartash

Hi Rick, Fine shot of the robin. Very good detail and nicely composed with a fine pose. I saw my first yesterday. Hope you have a great weekend. Richard

beautiful pic, TFS Ori

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1357 W: 72 N: 2886] (9535)
  • [2008-03-21 11:48]

Hello Rick,
Very beautiful photo of this American Robin. Great natural and clear colours. Very good sharpness and composition.
Happy Easter,
Peter

Hi Rick, great notes!! I have never seen an American Robin before, great colouration and wonderfully sharp feather details. very good overall composition, TFS

  • Great 
  • rdfoto Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 375 W: 0 N: 747] (3202)
  • [2008-03-21 13:50]

Bonjour Rick
Très belle capture, excellente netteté et couleurs, très beau sujet.
Amicalement Robi

Hello Rick,
Great capture, superb sharoness and depth of field, beautiful natural colora very nice pose.
Angela

Hello Rick,

Beautiful capture of this American robin. Excellent composition and sharpness. Wonderful colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
  • [2008-03-22 9:53]

My friend Rick, what a beautiful robin, filled with hope for us looking at him! The lighting and the colours in this picture are ravishing, all this grey and then the orange belly of the beautiful knight. I always think about knights when I see a robin, the way they walk in the grass as if they were owning the land. This little one must have travelled a long way for you to get this picture. Thank you!

Francine

Exelente foto muito bem focada e de qualidade ótima meus parabéns.
Nilson

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1026 W: 5 N: 2888] (10447)
  • [2008-03-23 19:54]

Hola Rick.
Como es costubre en tus fotos, siempre muy bellas y con gran calidad fotografica. Este Robin tiene muy bellos colores en su plumaje, la pose le da un valor agragado.
Saludos Rick.
Luis52.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2585 W: 170 N: 7879] (24911)
  • [2008-03-24 1:09]

Hello Rick,
Excellent capture of this beautiful bird looking very proud with a puffed up chest in a lovely bright orange colour! Very well exposed and I like the natural background.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hey Rick!
What an awesome shot I'm coming back to!
Perfect sharpness, very nice POV!
And very beautiful subject!
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-03-24 20:49]

Hello Rick

Ah!
Great to see these images being posted on TN from the great white north.
Very good details and well focused.
I like the puffed up plumage.
Excellent colour saturation.
TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2008-03-25 4:04]

Hi Rick,
what a lovely surprise! Can you send it my way so we can hope for spring also, as yet another snow day is coming our way.... Alberta clipper ;-).
Lovely shot. the colors and details look wonderful.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3174 W: 154 N: 4796] (15481)
  • [2008-03-25 10:58]

Hi Rick.
How well you managed to full up the bird in focus despite the numerous twigs around it. Great shot of the cute bird at natural surroundings. Neutral BG is looked perfectly as an addition to the main subject. Well done and TFS.
Alexei.

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