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The nutach on his branch


The nutach on his branch
Photo Information
Copyright: jeanpaul Bolduc (jeanpaul) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2046 W: 99 N: 3277] (13851)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-09-06
Categories: Birds
Camera: Pentax *ist D, 70-300mm f4-5.6
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2006-11-01 21:35
Viewed: 726
Points: 29
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Red-breasted Nuthatch

This bird
descends head downwards on tree trunks and branches to search in nooks and crannies of the bark for tiny organisms
wedges hard-shelled nuts in a bark crevice and then hammers them with its bill
carries spruce or pine pitch, often from some distance, in its bill to smear on the entrance of its nest cavity
has a greatly enlarged hind toe and a stubby tail, which are probably both adaptations for climbing downwards





Description

Like all nuthatches the Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis has short legs, a flat body, and a large head. Its strong, rather long bill is slightly upturned. The Red-breasted Nuthatch can be distinguished from other nuthatches by a pronounced white eyebrow stripe set off by a black line through the eye, and black on top of the head and neck. The crown is black in the male and dark greyish-blue in the female. The back, wings, and tail are mostly greyish-blue in both male and female. The rusty-coloured underparts that give this species its name are paler in the female. The long and pointed wings when folded extend nearly to the tip of the short tail. The bird’s overall length is about 11 cm.


Signs and sounds

Red-breasted Nuthatches, scrambling and fluttering about among the cones and needle-tufts at the ends of branches, constantly utter a series of weak nasal notes, more highly pitched and rapidly uttered than those of the White-breasted Nuthatch. Author W. M. Tyler notes that "when a little company is feeding together they keep up a cheery chatter among themselves. We find them at their best when gathered in the northern forests at the close of summer. Then they give their high, tinwhistle note, kng, back and forth on all sorts of pitches, varying its inflection, ringing unheard of changes on this simple call and when they are together thus, they use also a squealing note—a very high, nasal, little piglike or mouselike squeal—and a short explosive kick, or a rapid series of kicks." Also among the Red-breasted Nuthatch’s variety of surprisingly expressive sounds is a territorial song, a prolonged series of monotonous nasal notes: yna-yna-yna or yaaaaa.



Habitat and habits

The Red-breasted Nuthatch inhabits mixed-wood and coniferous regions, preferring spruce-fir forests. This bird lives mostly on the branches of trees instead of on the trunks, and in this way resembles a chickadee. The Red-breasted Nuthatch gets a special view of things by looking at the world upside down. Like the 16 other known nuthatch species, it is able to descend head downwards on tree trunks and branches. This is how they search in nooks and crannies in bark for tiny organisms overlooked by other birds that glean food while moving in an upright fashion.
glazzaro, law, jcoowanitwong, fthsm, wallhalla15, SkyF, claudine has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To claudine: Erreur sur le nomjeanpaul 2 11-02 18:22
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Critiques [Translate]

Beautiful bird, well taken, nice detail and pose.

Greg

  • Great 
  • law Gold Star Critiquer [C: 60 W: 2 N: 7] (87)
  • [2006-11-02 1:03]

Nice shot! A bit blur but composition good. Well done.

Regards,
Lawrence

Hi Jeanpaul,

Nice PoV, but sharpness and details are not so outstanding. Image appears abit dark. I dare a workshop, I hope you'd like it...
TFS,
Musin

Hi Jeanpaul,
Beautiful bird with a nice pose. Overall colors and composition are attractive. My personal taste would like to see a bit more contrast. Well done and TFS.
JC

Hello Jeanpaul
Very good shot! Great POV and very good details. Good sharpness and natuaral colours. Good visual impact. Thank you for posting.
Gr.
Heinz

  • Great 
  • jojo Gold Star Critiquer [C: 168 W: 0 N: 8] (176)
  • [2006-11-02 6:22]

Belle composition bien nette, belles couleurs
bravo

jojo

  • Great 
  • fthsm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 144 W: 50 N: 418] (2532)
  • [2006-11-02 6:49]

I think 1/125 was not enough. Looks a bit blurred. But this is a classic for me. Very difficult to freese these cuties. I like the light, POV, DOF and composition.
TFS Jeanpaul.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2006-11-02 9:33]

Salut JeanPaul,
Lovely bird, well captured. Excellent POV and nice blurred BG. I also like the framing it does compliment the photo very well.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1159 W: 255 N: 2639] (11925)
  • [2006-11-02 10:21]

Hi Jeanpaul,

A nice and colorfull shot of same bird I posted yesterday,IMO could be a bit sharper,well done and TFS

Paul

  • Great 
  • viv Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 3 N: 622] (3128)
  • [2006-11-03 4:10]

Hi Jean Paul,
Great job, I like the POV, it is a very nice colourfull bird,
Thanks
Vivian

Points tomorrow

Salut Jean-Paul,
Je ne savais pas que nous avions celles-ci au Québec. J'ai dernièrement photographié celle à poitrine blanche que tu as pris pour une mésange :) C'est assez réussit considérant la difficulté de photographier ces oiseaux. Ils ne restent pas en place une seconde. Belle composition et prise de vue. Évidemment, plus de détails sur le plumage auraient été appréciés. Mes félicitations pour cette belle capture!
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2102 W: 6 N: 2113] (13565)
  • [2006-11-03 9:43]

Hola Jeanpaul, buenos colores de este original pajaro, excelente pose y atractivos detalles, muchos saludos Tp

great DOF , nice colors and POV TFS
Donna :o)




Thanks for your comments on Just enjoying the day

  • Great 
  • gazo Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 74 W: 0 N: 13] (88)
  • [2007-02-04 0:22]

Cette photo n'est pas paraite au niveau de la mise au point mais les couleurs sont formidables et l'aspect de la sittelle est intéressant. **

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 356 W: 0 N: 363] (1463)
  • [2008-06-18 18:08]

Hello Jeanpaul,
an authentic picture of the bird in its natural surrounding. The bird's gesture is very pleasing aqnd add impact and a value-added elements to the overal picture.
Brilliant shot.

Regards,
Foozi

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