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Blue Faced Honey Eater


Blue Faced Honey Eater
Photo Information
Copyright: Richard Cridland (rcrick) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 710 W: 36 N: 1542] (4971)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-01-05
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Canon EF100-400 F4.5-5.6L IS USM, Scandisk Ultra II 8g, Hoya 77mm Pro1 DMC UV LPF
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): My Backyard Birds, My favourite naturescapes [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-01-05 18:06
Viewed: 1058
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I’ve been trying to catch theses guys in the garden for a while now. The Blue Faced Honey Eater is another favourite of mine, especially the adult birds which have this wonderful bright blue mask around the eye.

I had four juveniles come into the garden yesterday and have a feed in the Honey Gems, which much to the disgust of the Rainbow Lorikeets who seem to be under the impression the whole garden belongs to them.

The Blue-faced Honeyeater is a large black, white and golden olive-green honeyeater with striking blue skin around the yellow to white eye. The crown, face and neck are black, with a narrow white band across the back of the neck. The upperparts and wings are a golden olive green, and the underparts are white, with a grey-black throat and upper breast. The blue facial skin is two-toned, with the lower half a brilliant cobalt blue.

As mentioned Juvenile birds are similar to the adults but the facial skin is yellow-green and the bib is a lighter grey. This honeyeater is noisy and gregarious, and is usually seen in pairs or small flocks. It is known as the Banana-bird in tropical areas, for its habit of feeding on banana fruit and flowers.

They are found in northern and eastern mainland Australia, from the Kimberley region, Western Australia to near Adelaide, South Australia, being more common in the north of its range. It is not found in central southern New South Wales or eastern Victoria. This species is also found in Papua New Guinea.

They like tropical, sub-tropical and wetter temperate or semi-arid zones. It is mostly found in open forests and woodlands close to water, as well as monsoon forests, mangroves and coastal heathlands. It is often seen in banana plantations, orchards, farm lands and in urban parks, gardens and golf courses.

They feed mostly on insects and other invertebrates, but also eats nectar and fruit from native and exotic plants. It forages in pairs or noisy flocks of up to seven birds (occasionally many more) on the bark and limbs of trees, as well as on flowers and foliage. These flocks tend to exclude other birds from the feeding area, but they do feed in association with other species such as Yellow-throated Miners and Little Friarbirds.

Details, Shot Raw and converted to jpeg, copped slightly and re-sized, re-sharpened for posting.

File Name IMG_0026.CR2
Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Shooting Date/Time 5/01/2009 4:06:12 PM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125
Av( Aperture Value ) 13.0
Metering Mode Partial Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 320
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Focal Length 400.0 mm
Image Size 756x800
Image Quality Jpeg
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Custom
White balance compensation A1 G1
AF Mode One-Shot AF
Picture Style User Defined 1(Neutral)
Sharpness 6
Contrast 2
Saturation 2
Color tone 1
Color Space sRGB
Long exposure noise reduction 2:Enable
High ISO speed noise reduction 1:Enable
Highlight tone priority 0:Disable
File Size 181.3 KB
Drive Mode Low-speed continuous shooting
crs, CeltickRanger, bobair, JoseMiguel, tkp1165, uleko, matatur, jpdenk, eqshannon, smitha, iris, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eqshannon: Blue Faced Honey Eaterrcrick 1 01-06 15:08
To bobair: Blue Faced Honey Eaterrcrick 1 01-05 18:52
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Critiques [Translate]

hello Richard

excellent photography of this impressive bird by his pose and glance,
shot with fine POV and framing, excellent sharpness and details, TFS

Asbed

Hi Rick,
this is an interesting bird species that you have captured with well focused details and with mellow colours,I like the profile pose it has stuck,very nice indeed.The only thing that could be better for the capture would be to see all of it's tail but if this is as shot,like many of own photos sometimes all we can get is only one chance and in the excitement of the moment a part of a subject gets missed.A fine photo of a bird I had never heard tell of until now,but with over 8500 bird species that is no surprise.Thanks, Rick for giving us this view,I hope those Rainbow Lorikeets get over their disgust,pretty birds that they are. Bob

Hi Rick,
Exquisite first plane of this honey eater.
A like a lot the same level POV and fine details got around the eye.
A very good composition made with the head turn sideways and the square format.
My compliments and thanks for share.
Best regards,
JM

Hi Rick
Excellent shot of this very interesting bird. Excellent sharpness,perfect focus with great detail.All captured in a wounderful setting. Well done!!
TFS
Tom

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2959 W: 162 N: 817] (2429)
  • [2009-01-05 22:37]

Hello Rick,
Superb close view of the Honey Eater! It must be great to see them squabbling with the Lorikeets in the garden! Interesting to see a youngster who has not yet developed its colours. Excellent sharpness and a beautiful natural framing.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Your patience paid well Richard, this is a superb capture of a fine Honey Eater individual among its natural environment. The perfect profile portrait added to a revealing frontal aspect show the salient features of the bird quite nicely against a not so distracting (even in this cluttered environment) OOF BG.
TFS this fine image my friend.
Cheers,
Mehmet

Hi RIck,

Excellent note and an absolutely superb image, excellent composition, detail and sharpness. The background is very attractive too. That one goes into my favorites.

Thanks,
John

Hi there Oz! Classic portrait with perfect colours well balanced and clarity added on top for icing...Trs' cool..or actually much warmer than here....are you not coming into fire danger season son in parts?
Bob

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2345 W: 92 N: 5348] (17102)
  • [2009-01-06 12:04]

Hello Richard,
Very beautiful photo in an excellent pose. Great sharp focus on the head. Beautiful natural colours and environment. Good POV and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • efsus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 434 W: 10 N: 724] (3166)
  • [2009-01-06 13:22]

Merhaba Richard!
Daha önce hiç görmediğim bir kuşun enfes bir karesini sunmuşsun. Umarım bunu dalda da görme şansım olur. Enfes bir çekim olmuş. Emeğine sağlık.

Hüseyin

Olá Richard

Gosto muito desta foto, ela nos mostra uma ave rara, pelo menos eu não conhecia.
A composição e as cores estão ótimas.
GA
vera

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 0 N: 920] (3543)
  • [2009-01-06 21:28]

Hallo Richard,

You have made a fine portret of this bird. The POV you have chosen is very good showing the bird from a fine perspective. Moreover you have got a very good eye contact. Image quality is very high being very sharp and with a good colotr rendering.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

  • Great 
  • smitha Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 323 W: 75 N: 1002] (3753)
  • [2009-01-07 21:24]

Hello Rick,
Your place is like paradise for birds.:) Beautiful capture of the Blue faced Honey Eater. I remember seeing the adult bird in your gallery. Nice pose captured which clearly shows the cheek.Good sharpness and details in the plumage. Good use of light- I can see a sparkle in the eye.Nice natural background too.
Thanks for the share,
Regards,
Smitha.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2001 W: 226 N: 6845] (24727)
  • [2009-01-08 11:57]

Very sharp shot of this Honeyeater.
Excellent detail and clarity.
Very nice colours.
Superb DOF.

Very well done Rick!

Joe

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 469 W: 60 N: 947] (3016)
  • [2009-01-12 22:27]

Hi once again Rick,
That is a really large bird and such good luck to have them in good numbers(that too four of them!!!!)as a visitor(s) in your garden ...You have captured this one with quite an impressive profile showing excellent details. I like the way you have framed with the growing green and the bright yellow flowers round complimenting the very colours of the bird.Somehow it reminds of the grey hornbill as they are quite large birds and can get noisy.Very well done.
TFS & Cheers
Silpa

Hi Richard,
You do have such singular species in your country. I'm really amazed by this bird that looks like any other specie I know :) This is a sharp, well composed and exposed capture. Composition is good too but I would have tried to include the whole tail. This natural environment is beautiful. Well seen!
Claudine

Hello Rick

Wonderful image,the composition is excellent.
Very good POV and close up detail.
The plumage is terrific.
The setting is beautiful.
Great job.
TFS

Hi Richard,
Beautiful shot.
The color, details, exposure, DOF, and POV are excellent.
I like how the slender green leaves frame/caress the bird here..
It works for me :)
Howard

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