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Birds Working the Fish


Birds Working the Fish
Photo Information
Copyright: Janice Dunn (Janice) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-04
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 30d, Canon 70-300mm DO IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/1250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-05-27 2:38
Viewed: 793
Points: 14
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Birds Working the Fish

I arrived home late one afternoon last month and all I could see out on the water were thousands and thousands of birds, ‘working the fish’.

By the time I grabbed the camera and got over to the wharf at Murrays Bay, they had slowed down - some were sitting, some flying, and some were diving into the water.

I was only there for 10 minutes, and then the birds all began to fly again. What a sight they were. And suddenly then they all seemed to disappear around the cliff and out to sea.

I recognised a few of the birds:

SeagullsRed Billed Gull / Larus novaehollandiae scopulinus - Maori: Tarapunga – naturally – they’re everywhere. .

Black-backed Gull - / Larus dominicanus dominicanus – Maori: Karoro the largest gull in New Zealand – they’re everywhere too,

Terns – I was really pleased to see these birds – they aren’t around here very often. I think these visitors were the White-fronted Terns, the most common tern in New Zealand. They feed in large flocks on small fish by plunge diving. Shoals of smelt and pilchards which have been driven to the surface by larger fish are easily caught by the terns, who also scoop up the surface-shoaling fish as well.

Shearwaters. Not sure what sort they were - maybe Fluttering Shearwaters or Buller’s Shearwaters / Puffinus bulleri. They feed mainly on small fish and krill.

Check out the Workshop photo
haraprasan, eqshannon, goldyrs, mesquens, eng55 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

HI Janice
TFS this lovely image. I am amazed at all the different types of birds which were feeding at the same time...must have been quite a feast for them! Nice saturation on the ocean and good straight horizon.
Cheers
Sue

Hi Janice,
A lovely capture of this beautiful scenery with lots and lots of gulls. Excellent composition and nice view. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1110 W: 23 N: 3656] (13083)
  • [2008-05-27 4:12]

Hi Janice,
great action shot of this feeding frenzy, lots of detail to look at and well composed too - well done.
tfs,
Paul

Here, in winter, the gulls come inland...even in snowy weather they scavenge all over store parking lots and such. May folks feed them...many of them do not survive all things depending..so this image here for me is a cycle of nature turning....the process of a daily life but certainly they instinctively feel the change coming...Very nicely done Janice!
Bob

Working them they are, Janice...A shot I wouldn't say is in your style...yet a nice one..I lok at it as a seascape with some life...Perspectives vary!
Cheers!
Goldy

Hi Janice
Amazing shot, very well composed. Beautiful colors and very interesting POV. Good horizon line and the multitude of birds.
TFS
Raimundo

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1139 W: 32 N: 1164] (3582)
  • [2008-05-28 9:11]

Hi Janice,
A lot of birds,lovely scane.Well caught and composed.
Excellent work!
Thanks for posting.

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