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Cactus Wren.


Cactus Wren.
Photo Information
Copyright: Luis Leal (Luis52) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 5 N: 3457] (12761)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-02-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D80, 80-200 f2.8D ED AF Nikkor+1.5X Kenko
Exposure: f/4, 1/800 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-02-12 15:38
Viewed: 660
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
From My files.


Cactus Wren
Genus: Campylorhynchus
Species: brunneicapillus

The Cactus Wren lives in the arid and semi-arid deserts of southwestern United States and the chaparral of southern California and northern Mexico. The Cactus Wren is usually found below 4,000 feet. The California chaparral has hot and dry summers and humid and cold winters. It normally gets about 6 inches of rain per year.

At 7-9 inches (18-22 cm) long, the Cactus Wren is the largest wren in the United States. Both sexes look alike. Both are brown and have a white stripe running over each

eye. Their throats are white, and their beaks are dark, long and slightly curved. White and black streaks cover their backs. Their belly and sides are white to buff with dense spotting on the breast. The short and rounded wings have black and white banding. Legs and feet are tan colored.

They are very active and curious birds. They quickly investigate anything new in their territory. If you leave your car windows down or the garage doors open they are sure to enter and check it out thoroughly.

Cactus Wrens like to breed in successional chaparral scrub (chaparral that has recently come back from a burn). The female will select a nesting site in low, thorny trees or shrubs. In the Sonoran desert they prefer the well protected branches of the chain fruit cholla. Both male and female help build a football-shaped nest of dry grasses lined with feathers or other soft materials. A small side entrance protects the nest from predators. Cactus Wrens will first breed from February to early March and continue to have more broods through June if conditions are right. Four or five buff colored eggs speckled with brown are laid at one time. The size of the clutch (amount of eggs laid) is determined by the food supply. This is an adaptation Cactus Wrens have made to the changing food availability in their desert and chaparral habitats. The female incubates the eggs for 16 days while the male builds several more nest throughout his territory for roosting and future nesting sites. After the eggs hatch both parents will feed the hatchlings. The young fledge, or leave the nest, in 19 to 23 days. The fledglings stay with their parents for about a month.

Saludos
Luis52
Adanac, MMM, jaycee, boreocypriensis, CeltickRanger, siggi, haraprasan, Alex99, eng55, maurydv, Tamrock has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2009-02-12 16:13]

Hola Primo,

Do you love these Cactus Wrens as much as I do. No bird could be more entertaining and I love to watch them. I could do without their noise thought! You captured this one beautifully with wonderful colors and details of his face and amazing feathers. The eye is perfect. I love how you captured his personality - he looks like the perky bird that he is. A wonderful diagonal composition.

Jane

Hi Luis, a wonderful capture of this pretty cactus wren in a fine composition on a diagonally composed branch from a nice pov with wonderful clarity.
TFS and cheers MF!
Bayram

hello Luis

a superb photography of the Cactus Wren
shot with fine POV, i love the way he is framed
with the branch diagonally on the image,
beautiful blue sky as background, beautiful luminosity
of the image, excellent sharpness and details of the bird, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1370 W: 56 N: 4704] (16174)
  • [2009-02-12 23:08]

Hello Luis,
very nice capture, perfect bg, excellent composition, sharp image with good details, nice pov,lovely colour tones, very impressive shot,
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 5 N: 2762] (10618)
  • [2009-02-13 0:17]

Hi Luis,
Cactus Wren is very cute. Very nice photos. Sharpness, colors, and background is perfect. Congratulations.

Hi Luis,
A nice capture of this beautiful cactus wren. Superb sharp details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

buena toma, el sharp está muy bien, quizá no tomada desde el mejor ángulo, pero la oportunidad de estar en el momento preciso y a la distancia correcta hace que la toma transmita la experiencia del contacto cercano con el ave

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3584 W: 143 N: 5669] (18531)
  • [2009-02-13 10:39]

Hi Luis.
You have represented this wonderful bird perfectly. Its features, colouration, charming eye and other cute details and features are reflected perfectly. I like excellent DOF and sharpness as well as bright colours of the sky and impressive sunlight. Well done and my best wishes.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1130 W: 32 N: 1137] (3508)
  • [2009-02-13 11:58]

Hi Luis,
Beautiful capture against the blue sky.Sharpness,clear eyes,framing and details are excellent.
Thanks for posting.

Hi Luis,
what a wonderful picture of Cactus Wren taken from a good POV with superb sharpness and lighting, i like the nice pose of this beautiful bird against the blue sky.
TFS. Best regards.
Maurizio

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 1399 W: 3 N: 30] (504)
  • [2009-02-16 9:43]

merhaba Luis
wonderful capture of this cute wren
i like pose, POV, BG, colours and sharpness
TFS
regards
izler

hi luis!
A really sharp and fine pic with
good composition and fine exposure!
nice with the blue blackground
well done!

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 0 N: 1985] (8905)
  • [2009-02-24 6:19]

Hi Luis
I had miss your last posting sorry.Nice capture and sharp image with good plumage detail.Also nice blue BG.
TFS Michel

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3808 W: 190 N: 11328] (34927)
  • [2009-02-24 11:14]

Hola amigo,
A mi me encantada mucho este cucarachero y tu ha tomado un estupendo imagen contra un agradable ciel azul con buen nitidez. Me gusta tambien el POV y composición.
Muy buen trabajo Sr. Luis y gracias a Compartirlo!
Un abrazo fraternal de TN!
Ivan

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 1 N: 5208] (17609)
  • [2009-02-25 19:14]

Hola Luis,
You work your magic once again with this sharp and naturally colored image. I love the eye detail you obtained here Luis, thank you.
Rick

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