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Three's a crowd


Three's a crowd
Photo Information
Copyright: Nicki Mora (greychick) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 22 W: 0 N: 56] (349)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-02
Categories: Birds
Exposure: f/8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-02 13:12
Viewed: 303
Points: 2
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I went down yesterday to see if the heron and the spoonbill were together again and to my surprize I saw in the distance 3 white birds. We had often thought that there might be 2 white herons in the area and I thought, well maybe there is. But when I got up close I realised that the heron had ditched his spoonbill mate, maybe because three's a crowd. Because to my surprize there were 3 Royal Spoonbills together. I don't know if these new Spoonbills will stick around, I hope they do. I took a few shots before a massive thunder and lightening storm hit us.

THE ROYAL SPOONBILL
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=192

The Royal Spoonbill is a large white waterbird with black, spatulate (spoon-shaped) bill, facial skin, legs and feet. During the breeding season, it has a distinctive nuchal (back of head or nape of neck) crest, which can be up to 20 cm long in male birds (usually shorter in females). The crest can be erected during mating displays to reveal bright pink skin underneath. Breeding adults also have a creamy-yellow wash across the lower neck and upper breast and a strip of bright pink skin along the edge of the underwings which is obvious when the bird opens its wings. The facial skin is black with a yellow patch above the eye and a red patch in the middle of the forehead, in front of the crest feathers. Females are slightly smaller with shorter legs and bill. Out of breeding season, the nuchal crests are reduced, the underwing is not bright pink and the plumage is less brilliant, often appearing 'dirty'. Young birds are similar to non-breeding adults without a crest or coloured face patches, and are slightly smaler with a shorter, smoother bill. The Royal Spoonbill is most often seen wading in shallow waters, sweeping its submerged bill back and forth in a wide arc to find food.
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow! How lucky is that! I like the composition; an odd number always works better than an even number (and three is just pure magic!) and the way the birds are placed in the frame works very well. You even have each bird doing something different. Awesome! Well done.
Cheers
Elizabeth

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