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Tui on a Flax Branch


Tui on a Flax Branch
Photo Information
Copyright: Janice Dunn (Janice) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3471 W: 145 N: 5986] (17916)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-11-25
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 30d, Canon 70-300mm DO IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/160 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Birds of New Zealand, New Zealand Native Fauna and Flora (2) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-07-21 22:24
Viewed: 839
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
New Zealand Tui

The Tui is also known as the Parson bird because of the double tuft of white curly feathers at its throat. It is a big bird which loves to drink from the Kowhai. It lives high in the forest canopy and is a great singer as well as being an imitator of other birds's songs.

Tui are common throughout New Zealand in forests, towns and on off-shore islands. They are adaptable and are found not only in native forests, bush reserves and bush remnants but also in suburban areas, particularly in winter if there is a flowering gum about.

These attractive birds can often be heard singing their beautiful melodies long before they are spotted. If you are fortunate to glimpse one you will recognise them by their distinctive white tuft under their throat, which contrasts dramatically with the metallic blue-green sheen to their underlying black colour.

In colour, the Tui is a shining metallic green with bluish purple reflections on the shoulders, upper tail coverts and lower breast, the hind neck ornamented with filamentous plumes.

Captain Cook while at Dusky Sound in 1773 on his second voyage, wrote thus of the Tui. “Under its throat hang two little tufts of snow–white feathers, called poies, which being the Otaheitean word for ear–rings, occasioned our giving that name to the bird; which is not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage than the sweetness of its note. The flesh is also most delicious and was the greatest luxury the wood afforded us”.

They are the dominant honey eaters, aggressive and pugnacious, and will chase other Tuis and other birds, especially Korimako, the bellbird, from their feeding territory. They fly at great speeds, the wings whirring characteristically, the loud and noisy flying caused by a notch in the eighth primary that makes the wing tips flutter.

I was out in the back garden one day in summer, and a Tui decided that this huge Pohutukawa tree that grows on our boundary was HIS TREE. Well, every bird that landed on the tree this Tui aggressively flew and attacked it. It was there for hours, and I think he would have been exhausted. Finally he flew away elsewhere - most probably to a smaller tree where he could supervise it better. . .
uleko, deblink, Proframe, loot, thiv56, jmirah, Kaszek, hester, vanderschelden, claudine, marhowie has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Yes!!Janice 2 07-25 07:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Janice,
Wow, this is lovely! I love the irradescent colours in the feathers of this bird! Great composition with excellent sharpness and details in the plumage, and good lighting. Great interesting notes too! Well done and TFS
Cheers Tina :-)

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2678 W: 173 N: 8282] (26095)
  • [2007-07-21 22:42]

Hello Janice,
What a wonderful bird in beautiful plumage! I don't think I've seen this before. I like its pose and the colours are beautiful and details very sharp. The white tufts under its "chin" are amazing! Fine composition and a good note!
Many thanks, Ulla

Hi Janice,
What a glorious looking bird you have captured an image of here. Its colours are spectacular. Your image of it is pretty spectacular too; wonderful sharpness, showing superb detail, great DOF too. Very impressive indeed.
Cheers,
Debbie

hi janice,
nice cpature, liked the composition and the pov, lovely colours, good pose captured, the metalic shine in the feather looks nice,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 165 N: 8400] (26072)
  • [2007-07-22 1:25]

Hello Janice,
Great to see good photos of NZ endemic birds. Excellent composition, pose and sharpness of this Tui shot and the iridescent colours of the plumage show beautifully with a good BG.
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

Nice coluorfull shot good details and nice pov with head profiled and a good view of its back, composed well. light is nice. tfs rgds Necip.

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1446 W: 76 N: 3153] (10349)
  • [2007-07-22 1:39]

Hello Janice,
Fantastic photo! The colours, composition and sharpness with so may details are outstanding.
POV, DOF and BG are very good.
Regards,
Peter

Hello Janice!
A facinating photo with very good composition and excellent colour tones! TFS.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1992 W: 245 N: 6495] (23136)
  • [2007-07-22 2:06]

Hi Janice,
probably my favourite aspect of this photo is the BG.
Excellent colours and DOF.
Well done,
Joe

Great capture of irridescent colors...Outstanding DOF and detail...Well composed...TFS
Jim

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5779 W: 607 N: 3562] (9617)
  • [2007-07-22 2:20]
  • [2]

Hi Janice

A lovely capture and a nice pose of this Parson bird or Tui. Is there any reticent symbolism in the fact that you posted an underlying "black" coloured bird? Congratulations with the All Blacks conquering the Wallabies and thereby becoming the "Tri Nations" champions (once again) and winning the Bledisloe Cup (one more time).

The composition is great with the flower stem running through the diagonal and lovely space left by the selective cropping. I am of the impression that a little more saturation would have pepped up the colours quite considerably, but as it is there is nothing wrong with it and it looks quite fine. I just love the multicoloured jersey this guy is wearing with the green sheen around the head area, the purplish lustre around the shoulders, the brownish gleam on the back, the bluish shine on the wings and rump areas, and of course the two little tufts of snow–white feathers under its throat. The details are well defined and sharp and it shows some excellent contrasts throughout the dark areas. The exposure was well managed and you even caught a nice little catch light in the eye.

Well done and TFS.
Kia Ora
Loot

Hello Janice,
Fantastic bird and fantastic photo. Extra quality. Razorsharp with very good POV. Great exposure.
Congratulations!
Lukasz

Hi Janice

A lovely capture and a nice pose of this Tui. Beautiful colours in the feathers and also that flower. POV, DOF and BG are oké. Interesting info.

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1517 W: 18 N: 3137] (11548)
  • [2007-07-22 7:40]

Hi Janice

Beautiful light and colours on the feathers here. Excellent pose captured as well

TFS

Karan

Congrats, Janice.
Wonderful through this natural light and composition.
I like its pose and perching.
Well done
TFS
Annick

Hello Janice,
Great bird image you are showing us here today.
At first, before I did read your note, I thought what an ugly distracting white spot under the throat :), but now after readingit well I ofcourse know that is'nt the fact.
Sharpness and exposure are superb and due to that all the very beautiful glowing colors and details of the feathers are greatly visible.
Composition is excellent and the catch light in the eye of the bird is lovely.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a nice Sunday,
Harry

P/S Out of :) Will be back tomorrow.

Hi Janice,
Excellent capture my dear! If you don't mind, I'll pick on you again. I enjoy trying to "enhance" an already great image.
Warning: The changes will be subtle, and only detected by the trained photographic eye ;-}
Have a nice week mf,
Howard

Hello Janice,
This is a nice specie of a bird that looks a bit agressive. I lke this pose you captured, beautiful details and excellent exposure. Your notes are as always, very interesting. Thanks,
Claudine

bonjour janice
un bel oiseau pour une photo splendide,les couleurs bons belles avec leur reflets metalliques.
la netteté est assez bonne.
bien vu.
laurent

Hello Janice,
A beautiful shot of the Tui, a tad soft on the main subject but I think Howard's workshop fixed that. Very nicely captured as I like the POV on this one a lot as it shows the iridescant feathers off best. :)

Hi Janice,

What a beautiful bird. The light was fantastic. Well done.

Jan-Hendrik

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