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The bird and the flowers


The bird and the flowers
Photo Information
Copyright: Michel Pilon (pilonm) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 548 W: 90 N: 871] (2919)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-02-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Panasonic DMC FZ - 20 LUMIX, Leica 36-432mm
Exposure: f/4, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Yellow Birds [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-06-27 7:57
Viewed: 1313
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello,

Here is a little bird I saw near the hotel where we were on vacations last February in Venezuela (Margarita Island)...

In fact that bird is a juvenile bananaquit... One of its parent was always nearby... These tiny birds were feeding of nectar of those flowers (Calotropis procera, in the Asclepiadaceae family).

It was magic seing those birds going flowers to flowers, feeding..

Any comments?

Thank you,

Michel



The Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola, is a passerine bird, the only member of the genus Coereba and the monotypic family Coerebidae. The latter used to contain other nectar-eating birds from the tropical Americas, but these have since been moved. The Bananaquit is possibly close to some American "sparrows" and "finches" but the precise phylogeny remains unresolved. The AOU thus classes it as species incertae sedis[1]. It is resident in tropical South America north to southern Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a rare visitor to Florida, USA.

The Bananaquit is a very small bird attaining an average length of 11 cm. It has a slender, curved bill, adapted to taking nectar from flowers. It sometimes pierces flowers from the side, taking the nectar without pollinating the plant. It cannot hover like a hummingbird, and must always perch while feeding. It will also eat fruit and insects. It often visits gardens and may become very tame. Its nickname, the sugar bird, comes from its affinity for bowls or bird feeders stocked with granular sugar, a common method of attracting these birds in the USVI. Birds in the genera Cœreba, Dacnis, and allied genera belonging to the family Cœrebidæ, are all referred to as sugar birds.

Upperparts are dark grey with a black crown to the head and yellow underparts and rump. The Bananaquit has a prominent white eyestripe. Sexes are alike.

On Grenada and Saint Vincent, most Bananaquits have black plumage, suggesting divergence from other West Indian populations.

Bananaquits build spherical lined nests with a side entrance hole, laying up to three eggs.
JoseMiguel, fartash, Aaltjie, Proframe, Alex99, uleko, mikou, Argus, jaycee, delic, anel, earthtraveler, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Proframe: Agree with you...pilonm 1 06-27 12:41
To Aaltjie: Thank you!pilonm 1 06-27 10:14
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Critiques [Translate]

Bonjour Michel,
What a beautiful picture!
I like so much the composition made here, with this tiny bird and the cascade of flowers.
Great lighting and framing.
Felicitacions et merci pour le partage.
Mes amities,
JM

Hello Michel
What a perfect moment to shoot,
Fantastic colors and sharpness,
Great details,composition and lighting,
Superb shot, TFS

Regards
Fartash

Hallo Michel

Stunning photo. I do not know which I like most, the bird or the flowers. Detail is perfect. Colours is beautiful. Background is just right. One can even see the birds tongue. Very good photography of this tiny, dainty little bird. It looks very frail. I also browsed through your portfolio, and you have some wonderful photos. You are very talented. Thanks for sharing. The information in your note is much appreciated. I enjoyed it, and it was very interesting.
I am also very excited today, as one of the photos on the gallery has been dedicated to my granddaughter Maryke. If you wanted to return a visit to my portfolio, please do yourself a favor and have a view of the following: Maryke's Little Clown I personally think it is stunning, and I think it deserve a big smiley, maybe you can carry over the smiley you might wanted to give me to this Clown Trigger Fish.
Kind regards from a rainy and wet South Africa.
Aaltjie.

Hello Michel
What a very beautiul bird image you are showing us here.
Composition, clarity and sharpness are great.
Details, color tones, light and frame are wonderful.
Only thing I would have changed is a small crop of top, although cropping will become a little tight than, or clone out the lighter stem on top.
Nevertheless this is a real beuty and a great joy to look at.
Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards, Harry

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3585 W: 143 N: 5669] (18533)
  • [2007-06-27 9:37]

Hi Michel.
Thank you for sharing so wonderful shot. I am amazed with pictured subject, excellent details and sharpness of the cute bird and nice flowers. Lighting, vertical cropping and DOF are simply superb as well as the framing of the picture and note. Bravo. Super done and TFS.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2992 W: 162 N: 950] (2789)
  • [2007-06-27 10:30]

Hello Michel,
I love this little bird (and its name!) that we've seen on Trinidad. Excellent capture from a nice POV and on the beautiful flowers. Great sharpness and lovely colours. Excellent composition too.
TFS and regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 840 W: 67 N: 1311] (5269)
  • [2007-06-27 10:33]

Hi Michel.
Fabulous picture!Amazing composition with very good POV.You capture this bird in superb pose on flowers.Well focused and very good exposure.I like very beautiful colors and fine sharp details.My compliments and thank you for sharing.
Best greetings Milos.

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2007-06-27 12:32]

Hello Michel,
Fine capture of a juvenile Bananaquit, beautifully composed with the flowers. All the interesting parts of the picture are sharp and the Bananaquit has a nice pose. Nice lighting too.
TFS and regards, Ivan

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 555 W: 0 N: 1134] (5196)
  • [2007-06-27 15:48]

selam michel; excellent close up shot of this lvely bird,good details presented ,nice POV well captured with splendid colours TFS
regards
ridvan

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2908 W: 34 N: 8625] (32146)
  • [2007-06-27 16:57]

Hi Michel. This is an excellent shot. the compostion is spot on. The colours are so rich. very good detail in the bird and flowers. sharp focusing. with a nice POV. very well done TFS. with good notes to.

Nick..

Hello Michel,
Nice image. Wonderful combination.
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 449 W: 6 N: 310] (898)
  • [2007-06-27 18:07]

Hello Michel,
That bird does look small. You have captured it with an excellent composition. Colors are natural and beautiful. Flowers give the photo a 3-D look. Regards,
Hakan

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-06-27 22:53]

Hello Michel

A beautiful composition that is well focused with sharp details.The flowers make a super perch for the Bananaquit.The colours are well saturated and the POV and DOF are excellent.I like how you cropped the shot and framed it.Nicely done.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1723 W: 0 N: 3915] (15730)
  • [2007-06-28 1:38]

Bonjour Michel,
Un petit chef d'oeuvre. Une composition bien cadrée, de fines couleurs et une attitude très vivante du petit oiseau contribuent à l'intérêt que suscite cette image. Bravo
Anne

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2007-06-28 10:27]

Hi Michel,

What a delightful thing to see - and what a beautiful picture! A lovely little bird that is new to me and the prettiest flowers. The colors of both are marvelous and I love the open beak. A wonderful composition.


Jane

Wow Michel,
C'est une très belle photo bien composée et détaillée. J'aime beaucoup ces couleurs et l'action saisit. De toute beauté!
Claudine

Just awesome colorful composition!
Excellent all around.
Richard

Bonsoir Michel,

une belle image de cet oiseau et des fleurs, la photo a une bonne composition, netteté et de jolies couleurs. Bonne soirée.

Pierre

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2008-03-01 10:54]

Très jolie composition Michel avec ce bel oiseau perché sur ces petites fleurs très photogéniques. Les éléments techniques sont aussi très bien. Merci,

Mario

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