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Blackbird portrait


Blackbird portrait
Photo Information
Copyright: Helene Provencher (chouette) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 0 N: 843] (3000)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF300mm 4/L IS
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/160 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2006-07-24 20:39
Viewed: 1014
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Red-winged Blackbirds are one of our most recognizable birds; at least the males are.

Both males and females grow to almost 10 inches, but males are black with bright red shoulder patches. Small yellow stripes border the red. Females are very plain brown with streaks.

Red-winged Blackbirds are most common in marshes and swamps, but you will also see them in fields and meadows.

Red-winged Blackbirds are most commonly seen perching on cattails during the breeding season.

The breeding season for Red-winged Blackbirds goes from February to August. Males have territories which they guard from other males. To court females, male blackbirds chase them. Sometimes, several males chase one female at the same time.

When a pair of blackbirds is matched up, they will build a nest. Nests are cup-shaped and made of marsh grasses or reeds attached to cattails or rushes. Sometimes they will build it in a shrub. Each pair of blackbirds will raise two or three broods in a season, building a new nest each time. This probably keeps nests from getting infested with parasites which could kill baby birds.

Three to five pale blue eggs are laid in a nest. Eggs are spotted with brown or purple.

Red-winged Blackbirds eat mostly insects, including dragonflies, damselflies, other flies, beetles, butterflies, and moths, as well as other invertebrates, such as spiders. They catch insects on plants, off the ground, and from the air. In the winter, they switch to mostly grains.

Speed: 1/160
F-Stop: f/6.3
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 300mm
Exposure compensation: -1/3
radz, blakitan, jjcordier, aido, scottevers7, PDP, hibou, coasties, jeanpaul has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 601 W: 11 N: 599] (3161)
  • [2006-07-24 21:43]

Beautiful shot,nice POV&details,neat Bokeh!!

excelent Blackbird portrait... Very nice sharpnes, and color photo is clear very nice;-)

Bonjour Hélène,
ouf, tellement de détails! On vous voit presque dans son oeil. Cadrage comme je les aime. Félicitations!
P.S. c'est où Marais du Nord?

Hi Helene,
Nice close-up picture of this good-looking bird. Blurry background is OK, perhaps with slight color tone difference will be nicer. Greatly captured. Nice shot.

Ben Lakitan

Joli portrait de ce bel oiseau avec une très bonne netteté sur la tête et l'oeil (on voit le reflet du paysage). belles couleurs
Amicalement
JJ

Good morning Helene,
Just time for a very quick visit.
Nice shot. Thanks for posting.
Have a great week.

Bonjour,
Charmant gros plan de cet oiseau qui permet au néophyte de bien voir la couleur de l'aile.
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Hi Helene,
you have captured a nice bird, the details and DOF are good.
Nice colours and POV, but I think you can add a slightly more contrast.
Well done.

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1103 W: 173 N: 1227] (4038)
  • [2006-07-25 6:29]

Hi Helene,
Lovely portrait shot. Great detail and a nice clear view of those beautiful wing markings. Great exposure and perfect DOF. POV is good too to isolate the Blackbird against that neutral background. Great shot and an interesting note too, excellent post.
Regards,
Adrian

Hi Helene,
An excellent shot on this Red-winged Blackbird. Nice soft quality light. The light coming from the top right corner highlights him very well. Beautiful colors and fine detail in the plumage. Perfect OOF backround. Well done!
Scott

Hello Helene, excllent colors, Bg, POv DOF perfect details, Graet work, TFs Kyle

  •      
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11751)
  • [2006-07-25 17:00]

Hello Helene, interesting blackbird. I've not seen one this close before. The details are very good and the composition is nice. Well done.

*I've turned off my points, I cannot recieve and I cannot give. I'm sorry for the latter*

  • Great 
  • hibou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 194 W: 1 N: 345] (1509)
  • [2006-07-26 15:09]

Bonjour Hélène,
Je me demande si cette photo est prise de trop près pour voir votre main soutenant ce superbe carouge. Très beaux détails et les couleurs difficiles de noir et blanc sont parfaites. Bravo !
Donald

Hello Helene,
Very well composed profile portrait, great BG.
Sharp detail, and a good POV showing the red & white wing bars nicely :)
Well done and TFS!

Hi Helene

Well done on a very nice shot. You show your subject very well. Crisp, clear and sharp. Good quality work. :-)

Salut Hélène
Excellente exposition afin de pouvoir voir les subtilités du plumage de ce Carouge. Très bien réussie comme composition et bon piqué.
Merci et au revoir....JP

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