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North Island Tomtit


North Island Tomtit
Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3817 W: 505 N: 8098] (27718)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-05-06
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital RAW 200, Hoya UV 77mm
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-05-19 3:43
Viewed: 886
Points: 24
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Tomtit (Miromiro)

This small forest bird has a large head with a small white spot above the bill and a short tail. The male has a black head, glossy black upperparts and upper breast and white underparts, divided at the breast, a white wingbar and sides to the tail. The female has a brown head and upperparts, grey brown chin and upper breast fading to white on the underparts. The wingbar and sides of the tail are pale buff. The male call is a short high pitched ‘swee’ and he sings with a warbling ‘ti oly oly oly oly oh’. The female call is a reedy ‘seet’.

Tomtit eat mainly invertebrates (spiders, beetles, caterpillars, moths, weta, earthworms, flies, stick insects and wasps) supplemented with small fruits in autumn and winter. A ‘watch and wait’ method is used – perching and scanning an area and then flying to catch the prey, usually on a nearby trunk or branch. Insects are also gleaned from leaves and small branches.

Pairs maintain their territory all year and stay together year after year. Breeding is between September and January, during which up to 3 broods may be raised. The female builds a bulky nest of twigs, bark, fibre and moss, bound with cobwebs and lined with
tree-fern scales, moss and fine grasses. The nest is in either a tree cavity, the end of a broken branch, in a fork attached to the trunk of a tree fern or in a thick tangle of vines.

Vital Statistics

Conservation Status: Protected Endemic
Mainland Status: Widespread and locally common, esp in Central N.I. beech forests
Size: 13cm, 11g
Life Span: 3 years
Breeding: September - January
Diet: Invertebrates, small fruits in autumn and winter
First Introduced to Tiri: 32 in 2004
Population on Tiri: 32 (April 2004)
Total Population: 1,400

The above obtained from http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/Fauna/NorthIslandTomtit.htm

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 20D
Time of day: 1:03 p.m.
Date: 6th May 2006
Weather conditions: Between Rain Showers
Lens: Canon 100-400mm L IS
Filter: Hoya 77mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/125
F-Stop: F/5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
ISO: 200
Original file type: Digital Raw
ramthakur, samos, thistle, marhowie, firelord, pilonm, wallhalla15, loot, dew77 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Great image of this cute, big-headed bird.

Hello Pam,
This is lovely! The birdy looks very cute and you've captured it really well. The exposure is great and all details on the plumaghe are well visible.
I like it a lot!
VERY WELL DONE!

Hi Pam,
Nice shot and what a little cutie :)
Difficult light at this time of day, but you handled it well IMO..Difficult subject..Very good detail, DOF, POV, pose, and composed well..
Well done!

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2006-05-19 9:13]

A cute little fellow Pam, you caught him well on it's branch. Well composed, sharp and well exposed. I love it's little white spot. Thanks, have a great weekend.

Mario

Hi Pam, you have done really well to show the detais in that black face!! excellent exposure and as always a useful note
TFS
Goutham

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 548 W: 90 N: 871] (2919)
  • [2006-05-19 12:19]

Hello Pam,

Nice picture of this little bird! I like your pov, composition and the nice frame! dof is also well done! TFS,

Michel

Hello Pam, this is a very nice capture. Composition is great and good colours too. A good one, very well done. TFS.
Gr.
Heinz

Ahhh! This is a cute little fella :) and you did an excellent job on the POV. Also thank you for your Get Well note, I'm still feelin' terrible though, hopefully I'll shake this bug or whatever it is. :)

  • Great 
  • Gudule Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 248 W: 11 N: 288] (1204)
  • [2006-05-19 21:45]

You know, Pam, I think we are very lucky, as members of TN, to have you sharing your photos with us.
This one is a real discovery for me, anyhow.
No doubt that the NZ wildlife fauna must be very rich. Thank you so much for this presentation.

JN.

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5452 W: 594 N: 3651] (10035)
  • [2006-05-19 23:43]

Hi Pam
It is a great capture of this little big head. Noticing the direction of its feet I can see that it actually turned around backwards to have a look at you and you caught it at the best possible moment or angle.
The harsh light at one o'clock in the afternoon make most photography a nightmare, but you managed very well especially considering the fact that it is a black & white birdie. You did excellent work showing great contrast and details. Even the black eye is clearly visible in the black face.
Very good work and TFS.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-05-21 5:17]

Hello Pam!
Very nice capture.This cute bird is new to me.Clear details,sharpness,catchlight in eyes,POV and composition are wonderful.TFS....:-)

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1575 W: 5 N: 2181] (12252)
  • [2006-05-22 7:34]

Bonjour Pam!

Superbe photo,cet oiseau est très mignon. Félicitations pour la netteté et la composition.

Merci!

joseph

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