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Dark eyed junco


Dark eyed junco
Photo Information
Copyright: Lise De Serres (lizzie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2843)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-12-22
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D300, Nikon 300mm VR 2.8 D + TC 2X
Exposure: f/8, 1/160 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Superb Birds [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-01-24 18:35
Viewed: 519
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This picture was taken last month at the Botanical Garden. Waiting for the Carolina wren, this junco was nice enough to pose for a few seconds. I haven't seen many of them and I was quite please to be able to photograph one. I think this one is a female slate colored form.


Lise

The Dark-eyed Junco includes five forms that were once considered separate species. The "slate-colored junco" is the grayest, found from Alaska to Texas and eastward. The "Oregon junco" is boldly marked blackish and brown, with a distinct dark hood, and is found in the western half of the continent. The "gray-headed junco" has a brown back and gray sides and lives in the central Rocky Mountains. The "white-winged junco" is all gray with white wingbars, and breeds only near the Black Hills of South Dakota. The "Guadalupe junco" of Baja California is dull and brownish. Two other forms may be distinguishable: the "pink-sided junco," a pale version of the Oregon junco, living in the northern Rocky Mountains, and the "red-backed junco," a gray-headed junco with a dark upper bill, found in mountains near the Mexican border.


Behavior
Dark-eyed Juncos are flocking birds with a distinct social hierarchy. They forage on the ground in these groups, scratching with their feet to find food. The flash of white tail feathers serve as a signal that alerts members of the flock when one is alarmed.

Diet
During the summer, about half of the Dark-eyed Junco's diet is made up of insects and other arthropods, the other half consists of seeds. The young eat mostly arthropods. In winter, the diet shifts more to seeds and berries.


Nesting
The male Dark-eyed Junco sings from a high perch to defend his territory and attract a mate. During courtship, both members of a pair hop about on the ground with their wings drooped and their tails spread, showing off their white outer tail feathers. The nest, which the female builds, is almost always on the ground. It is often in a depression, hidden under grass, a log, a rock, or an upturned tree root. The nest is a cup made of grass, moss, lichen, rootlets, twigs, and bark fiber, and is lined with fine grass, hair, or feathers. The female incubates 3 to 5 eggs for 11 to 13 days. Both parents feed the chicks, which leave the nest at 9 to 11 days. Pairs typically raise 1 or 2 broods per year.
rcrick, Adanac, CeltickRanger, rousettus, jusninasirun, Patleboss, SelenE, eqshannon, Juyona, dejo has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To kjpweb: Noise reductionlizzie 2 01-26 04:28
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 647 W: 42 N: 1198] (3854)
  • [2008-01-24 19:03]

Hi Lizzie,
Beautiful image of this little Dark-eyed Junco, positioning and composition spot-on, excellent detail and exposure and the really like the soft background makes this little guy really standout, all the best Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 1 N: 4448] (14934)
  • [2008-01-24 19:10]

Hello Lise,
Outstanding details in this beautiful composition. Great notes, splendid image an all around top notch posting, thanks.
Rick

Lizzie,

Great capture,
I like what you did here,
Nice pose and catch light,
I never knew there was so many different kinds of Junco's until I moved to AZ,
Great job,

fototab

bonjour Lise

très belle photographie de cette espèce d'oiseau
(que j'avais essayé une fois une photo
mais n'ayant pas aimé javais supprimé)

excellents détails et netteté de son plumage
tout comme de la branche, background formidable,
j'aime le POV de ton image, j'aime de la façon
dont la branche se tourne et égalment superbement l'image cadré

TFS

Asbed

Bonjour Lise,
aah elle est toute belle cette photo, tout y est netteté impeccable, couleurs naturelles magnifique, superbe pose de l'oiseau et excellent background qui met bien le tout en valeur, il y a juste un peu de bruit dans l'arrière plan mais ca n'enlève rien a cette très belle image,
bravo,
amicalement,
Pat

Hello Lise,
This is so beautiful. Nice details and good shadow management with superb plumage clarity. Please allow me to add this to my Theme.

Regards,

Jusni

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2392 W: 61 N: 3922] (12598)
  • [2008-01-25 1:34]

Hi Lise,
Looks so cute :o) I liked the warm color tones, the soft lighting, your POV and the composition. TFS
Best wishes,
Selen

Hi Lise,
this if perfect capture of this beautiful passerine with excellent sharpness and details, even if on white belly feathers. POV and composition great as like coloration. good notes. TFS, well done
Ahmet

Bonjour Lise,

J'en ai pris une aussi dimanche passé, mais celle là est nettement meilleure que la mienne! J'aime beaucoup la pose de l'oiseau, le fond neutre et la composition en général. Les détails sont nets, quoique le plumage blanc du bas est un peu moins bien défini.

Eugène

A beautiful capture! Love the detail. It could use some noise reduction, though (see Workshop). But other than that - it;s a great shot for 600mm... Cheers, Klaus

Very nice. A soft background and clear feathering. Wonderful earth tones combined with nice notations. It is a good lesson plan!
Bob

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2079 W: 6 N: 2088] (13475)
  • [2008-01-26 0:58]

Hola Lise,
precioso junco,
excelente trabajo,
pose y pov,
bello color y bg,
saludos
pt

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 355 W: 51 N: 476] (2058)
  • [2008-01-26 13:37]

Hi Lise,
nice one, great pose captured & beautiful colors and details,
best regards, Dejan

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1390 W: 116 N: 5160] (22690)
  • [2008-01-27 9:09]

Bonjour Lise, superbe photo du Junco, la lumière est très belle, le fond est génial et la netteté impeccable. Bravo et merci !

Mario

Hello Lise,
Seems like this little fellow is well prepared to meet the cold winter days!
Good point of view on the fluffy featherball, the details in the plumage are outstanding...
A well balanced composition, where the branch makes a fine diagonal!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Bonsoir Lise,
Comment ai-je pu manqué un si beau Junco, il est magnifique avec tant de netteté, avec un BG qui le met vraiment en valeur, il nous regarde haut et fier.
Bravo
Marie

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