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I Love Corn


I Love Corn
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 608 W: 0 N: 1516] (4981)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS350D/Digital Rebel XT, Canon EF 70-200mm f4 L USM
Exposure: f/4, 1/3000 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-01-16 18:29
Viewed: 688
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is so strange, the picture in my computer has white walls instead of the pinky cast all over. It's the first time it happens, sorry about that, but the wall should be white... well... ;-((

My post of the day today is one with the incredible blue jay, famous blue birds among birds, famous in the forest for its calls and alarm. Hunters don't like them because they start the alarm at their sight and everyone with four and two legs is fleeing the scene.

They also scare little birds, eat their eggs in the nest, eat the young ones too, and when they adopt a feeder, they come and chase everyone else.

They are noisy, vindicative, they yell, steal and kill.

BUT, there's a BUT, they are chased by squirrels and feed prey birds. They communicate together at a fast pace, faster than they eye, and anyone having photographed blue jays will know how prudent, quick and intelligent they are. Their way of landing, taking off the ground, flying through the trees and branches is amazing. I have pictures (blurred pictures of course) showing them with their wings against their body and taking off like a rocket! Just like a rocket.

I have another blurred picture where you see the blue jay taking off from the platter of seeds, horizontal with the platter and belly facing me: it is flying horizontally, and on its side three feet from the ground!

When I started shooting them (and missing them), I was so amazed and so sad to have missed all those shots of these wonderful birds flying, taking off, landing... they are just incredible and from then on, they have my whole hearted love forever. They stirred in me, for real and not just for the thought of it, a strong desire to fly like them.

I love their colour, those blue feathers shining... which are not blue but grey. I find grey feathers striped with white all the time, blue jay feathers.

I took this picture from my garden. I sat there and waited in front of the little shed in our backyard. You can see the shadow of echinacea on it. My Love installed this wooden thing with nails to place the corn on it. Blue jays love it. Squirrels and chipmunks too and I suspect racoons to come at night and steal and leave with the whole corn.

As you can see on the picture, blue jays have a pocket which they fill up and then leave with the food, either to hide it or to eat it. This one is filling up its pocket with a lot of corn grains, just like a little pig very fond of food.

Thanks for reading!

Francine

Shot if jpeg, resized for TN and cropped a little bit
ISO 200 at 200mm

Blue Jays from Cornell Lab: (extracts)

Cyanocitta cristata
Order PASSERIFORMES - Family CORVIDAE

Other Names

Geai bleu (French)

Cool Facts

* Although the migration of Blue Jays is an obvious phenomenon, with thousands moving past some points along the coast, much about it remains a mystery. Some jays are present throughout the winter in all parts of the range. Which jays move and which stay put? Although young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, many adults do migrate. Some individual jays may migrate south in one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. Why do they migrate when they do?

* Many people dislike the Blue Jay because it is known to eat the eggs and nestlings of other birds. However, in an extensive study of Blue Jay feeding habits, only 1% of jays had evidence of eggs or birds in their stomachs. Most of the diet was composed of insects and nuts.

* The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. It has been suggested that these calls provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or that they are used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

* Tool use in birds is rare. Although no tool use has been reported for wild Blue Jays, captive jays used strips of newspaper to rake in food pellets from outside of their cages.
eqshannon, Luis52, joey, PaulH, K9madtex, claudine, amcolli, Adanac, bobair, Argus, hester has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eqshannon: Oh la laNinaM 1 01-16 19:32
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Critiques [Translate]

You know what? I love the picture, but I would have missed an important part had you not called my attention to the purple cone flower shadow...it adds something almost subliminal...something perhaps symbolic...after all you noticed it as well...and now I will go to bed thinking of this...I love subliminal things that are pointed out in images...sometimes it takes me years to figure out and other times...like a turn on of the switch...but this one is an enigma...thanks much!
Bob

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 514 W: 8 N: 1128] (4152)
  • [2008-01-16 21:15]

Hello Francine,
Just marking today, my classes started so I'm out
of time.. Congratulations for this wonderful presentation
I'll come back tomorrow with a proper critique..

Everton

Maybe it's the perspective, but I think this guy needs to eat more corn. He's looking a little on the thin side;) The coneflower shadow adds a nice balance to the photo, otherwise it might seem a little heavy on the left.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1812 W: 243 N: 5978] (21303)
  • [2008-01-17 2:06]

Hello Francine,
well firstly I have to say that your notes are exceptional! You make me want to fly right over to Canada straight away to watch these beautiful birds!
Great image quality and the composition is superb! The shadow is a real bonus!
Excellent POV that shows this throat pouch very clearly.
Well done Francine!
Thanks,
Joe

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1057 W: 26 N: 3154] (11339)
  • [2008-01-17 3:53]

Hi Nina,
a well composed shot of this Blue Jay, the shadows create an interesting effect and you have caught some good detail too, well done!
Paul

Salut Francine,
C'est tout un "set up" que tu as là :) Je n'ai jamais essayé le maïs avec eux. J'aime bien cette composition et les beaux détails capturés. J'ai été témoin l'autre fois de la façon dont ils servaient de système d'alarme. Il y avait un oiseau de proie (je ne sais pas qu’elle espèce) dans ma cours et ils imitaient son cri en se promenant partout autour de lui. Ce n'était pas le cri que j’entends habituellement mais bien une imitation parfaite du cri de l'oiseau. Un moment, j'ai perdu le rapace de vue et en suivant le son des Geais, j'ai pu le retrouver dans un autre arbre sur un terrain voisin. C'était vraiment quelque chose d'impressionnant à vivre :) Merci!
Claudine

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1390 W: 116 N: 5160] (22690)
  • [2008-01-17 5:07]

Bonjour Francine, j'aime beaucoup la texture du bois et les ombrages. J'aime bien aussi voir le tas de grains de maïs qu'il accumule dans sa poche. Bravo et merci !

Mario

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1025 W: 5 N: 2876] (10399)
  • [2008-01-17 6:42]

Hi Francine.
Like Your photo and I like the note too.
We dont have such nice blue Jays around here, but they are beautiful color birds.
There is some black birds here (Bronzed Cowbird) they never make a nest, they find some others birs nest and eat their eggs and leave their own ones there to hatch by the original owners. good deal isnt it?
Saludos Luis52.

Bonour Francine,
Très belle composition avec les ombres sur la cloture, l'oiseau est superbe avec le bec plein de maïs.
Merci
Marie

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2843)
  • [2008-01-17 14:27]

Bonjour Francine,

Belle composition, j'aime bien le jeu des ombres sur la clôture, tu as capturé ce geai bleu avec de beaux détails et de belles couleurs naturelles. Pour ce qui est des oiseaux, en effet si tu te promènes au jardin botanique ces temps-ci, tu as de bonnes chances de les entendre chanter. Pour ce qui est des harfangs, là ce ne sont pas tes oreilles qui te sont utiles mais plutôt de bonnes jumelles et de la patience!

Lise

bonjour Francine

d'abord merci pour ces excellentes notes

une belle image, tu as fait une excellente mise en scène
pour capter le geai bleu mais ton image est plusss
une photo prise sur le vif,

tu as bien fait d'inclure tout dans l'image
car les ombres apportes ce petit plusss à l'image

TFS

Asbed
p.s. quand dans plus il faut prononcer le s
alors j'aimes ajouter quelques « s » de plusss

  • Great 
  • bobair Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 381 W: 82 N: 1212] (4494)
  • [2008-01-17 18:54]

Hi Francine,
your note for this photo is spot on the money as Blue Jays though nice to look at, really are just bullies.This composition looks good and the colours are good,even the wall you speak of is good.There is much detail in this well focused shot.Thanks for showing this one to us all. Bob

Bonjour Francine,
This is a fine and unusual capture of a Blue Jay showing its feeding preferences: I didn't know they like corn!
Nice conposition and good sharpness. As you said that the Pink tinge should not be there I tried the WS to reduce it.
Merci pour le partage,
Amitiés,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 1 N: 4448] (14934)
  • [2008-01-18 9:10]

Hello Francine,
First I must compliment your Love for this ingenious bird feeder. Your capture and notes of this wonderful species are excellent. The shadows of the Jay and echinacea add to this lovely composition as does the old lumber of your shed. Your passion for nature, your home and your Love come out in your images and words so well, thank you.
Rick

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1477 W: 18 N: 3013] (11052)
  • [2008-01-26 11:54]

Hi Francine

Lovely shot of the blue jay and his lunch. The shadows from the flowers are a lovely extra touch. Good sharp shot, nicely composed. The pink tone is fine as well

TFS

Karan

Hello Francine, thanks for checking out my page and very nice to meet you! i love this shot very much - the pinky/peachy wall does not bother me - in fact it adds to the whole coloring - love the colors here very much! - the tender blue/grey bird and the gray/pinky background, it looks very much like a painting by Cy Twobmly to me - the minimalism of it - the most amazing bit is the shadow of the flower on the wall - fantastic!

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