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Photo Information
Copyright: Pam Russell (coasties) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 503 N: 8087] (27684)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-17
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 100-400mm L IS USM, Digital RAW 100, Hoya UV 77mm
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-10-17 3:54
Viewed: 1342
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Mynah

Because of its habit of prospecting along the roadsides for bugs killed by cars, the common mynah is probably the one bird New Zealanders are most familiar with, at least in the northern parts of the North Island. No doubt mynahs have developed this habit in other parts of the world but here it makes them a target for many people in cars who do their best to run them down, usually without success, unlike the poor Pukeko. The mynah’s jaunty cocky nature just seems to infuriate a lot of people.

In its native India the common myna is called the “Farmer’s Friend” because it eats insects that destroy crop plants.

Mynas are distinctive because, unlike most other birds, they walk rather than hop.

Pairs of mynahs stay together year after year. In the breeding season they are strongly territorial. The nest is a cup of dry grass, twigs and leaves, usually in a hole in a tree, cliff, or building. They are very aggressive birds and will compete for nesting boxes which farmers put out to encourage starlings. There seems to be no information as to whether or not they evict native or endemic birds from nesting holes.

Except for incubating females, mynas spend the night in communal roosts, some of which may have 1,000 or more birds. From these roosts they disperse to their territorial feeding grounds each day. They are most often seen, however, in rowdy aggressive gangs, bullying other birds over available food supplies. They compete with magpies with their cacophonous calls, bubbling and gurgling, cackling, chattering away. Their diet is varied but mainly a mixture of invertebrates and fruit.

“Mynah” is not a biological classification within the starling family, but rather a geographical one. “mynah” (“maina”) is the Hindi word for starling, and this name has tended to be applied to starling species native to southern and southeastern Asia and the southwest Pacific. The word “mynah” derives from the Sanskrit “madana,” meaning joyful or delightful, which comes from the word “mad,” to rejoice, which in turn derives from a root meaning “bubbles.” So ultimately the word “mynah” means “bubbling with joy.”

The above obtained from http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/mynah.html

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 20D
Time of day: 4:29 p.m.
Date: 17th October 2005
Weather conditions: Clear
Lens: Canon 100-400mm L IS
Filter: Hoya 77mm UV
Shutter Speed: 1/200
F-Stop: F/11
Focal Length: 275mm
ISO: 100
Original file type: Digital Raw
Libor, TAZ, dew77, sAner, jmaddocks, hummingbird24, joeydrops, odin, Signal-Womb, fiyo, radz, wallhalla15, Toni, liquidsunshine, scottevers7, paulbright, touristdidi, Janice, marhowie, Luc, NINIX has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To livios: Tripodcoasties 1 10-17 12:30
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Critiques [Translate]

This is fantastic! I love the combo of the two. Great exposure and DOF. Paul :)

  • Great 
  • Libor Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 176 W: 1 N: 25] (1101)
  • [2005-10-17 4:47]

:o)) nice shot !!!
lovely moment

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-10-17 5:11]

GREAT !!! This bird on the sheep it is so nice. Congratulations Pam and thanks for sharing with us this lovely shot.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2005-10-17 5:23]

Hello Pam!
Funny scane.Details,colors,POV,sharpness,framing and composition are wonderful.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2005-10-17 6:12]

Haha! Very funny scene Pam. Nicely exposed and composed. Good details and nice POV. Good note aswell. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

HI Pam:
This is a feel good shot. Beautifully composed, with sharp detail and colour. You can almost see the disgust in the sheep's eyes. It's as though he were saying, "Oh brother, not you again!"
Today I move back to my homeland, Canada. After 11 years away, it will be great to be home!
All the best of the day!
John

Hi Pam,
This is a great shot!! Excellent composition. The Myna must be resting its wings and going for a ride on soft "blanket" of wool. I get a lot Indian Myna's in my backyard. Thankyou for the informative not too! Well done :)
Claudia

Hello Pam,

This really re-defines the saying, "being on the lam(b)".

Your composition is delightful and a great morning pick-me-up.

Well done and thank you.

  • Great 
  • Facsi (28)
  • [2005-10-17 7:04]

You're lucky to catch this photo, gratulation for it! Well captured, cool sharp and contrast, funny shot.
TFS, bye!

Great opportune shot Pam, very well spotted well done. Regards Steve.

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 986 W: 5 N: 2715] (10472)
  • [2005-10-17 8:13]

Hello Pam,
Very nice capture with a superb composition.
Sharpness, colors, light, composition, everything is good! Well done&TFS

  • Great 
  • radz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 605 W: 11 N: 616] (3396)
  • [2005-10-17 9:31]

Interesting shot!!two-in-one framing:)).Good DOF&NICE composition.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2005-10-17 11:23]
  • [+]

Pam, everyone of us would like to get a shot like this.

This is a fantastic moment, and the excellent quality of your picture shows this very well.

Perfect pov, composition and sharpness; lovely colors and background, great contrast.

Once more, I mention sharpness in your shots. It's something that always grabs my attention. Do you use a tripod or something? In this shot, for example, you used 1/200; the focal length is 275mm. I know your lens is really great, but I think that in similar conditions I'd not get such a sharp picture.

Congratulations.

Pam, this is a great Picture. Great colours, excellent sharpness, a very nice composition. Well done.

  • Great 
  • Toni Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 403 W: 2 N: 316] (2034)
  • [2005-10-17 12:28]

Hi Pam
Very funny shot. The sheep looking at you and the bird being on this side of the sheeps back makes it a perfect composition. Great light and DOV.
Regards Toni

Nicely captured Pam,
The exposure is spot on and composition good. The Mynah is probably wondering how it can get this nice soft rug back to the nest!!!
Thanks for posting, have a great week.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1576 W: 5 N: 2180] (12248)
  • [2005-10-17 18:11]

Une belle prise amussante et agréable àregarder. L'éclairage est vraiment parfait, les détails et la netteté sont excellents.

FÉLICITATIONS!!!

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-10-17 20:34]

Hi Pam,

Excellent shot and well done on the composition. Congrats on finally having the 20D.

Mike

Hi Pam,
Great shot! A funny scene that is perfectly captured. Everything looks great.
Scott

never knew that there is indian mynah in New Zealand. Very nice shot. Here is South Africa there is an adundance of these birds and so sas that its almost becoming a pest, attacking indigenous species.
TFS!

The light is gentle, is pleasing. The frame is very good but I seea little fit in the lower part. Congratulations for your good job. Thanks for my welcome :D (i´m sorry for my english... ;P i´m from Spain :) )

I see them everywher in Nepal. In USA, they imitate other birds for hurs, till you can be crazy. I had a pet one once, he imitated my daughter. She said "no, mine", all the time. I love them!

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3318 W: 149 N: 6113] (18646)
  • [2005-10-18 5:43]

I love the sheep Pam! A real NZ sheep too... What breed is she? Come on, all NZers should know the breed of the animal who far outnumbers humans in this country.
And your cheeky Myna, good shot of him riding free. And what a good way to get a sheep on TN!
TFS, I'm still smiling.

Hi Pam!
I don't have enough time to write a decent comment ;) but the big smiley is, no doubt, well deserved here :)

//Lovely shot, both models look so cute//

Perfect title Pam. Very well executed. These are the out-of-the-ordinary captures we all hope for..Thank You.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1873 W: 304 N: 4300] (14729)
  • [2005-10-18 19:58]

Personal assessment of the photo: excellenté
Power of evocation in me: great.
Very strong visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Thank you Pam.

  • Great 
  • CTP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 774 W: 6 N: 1107] (3183)
  • [2005-10-18 23:08]

Excellent portrait shot Pam.
Great pov,timing,sharpness.focus,
colors,note,dof,bg and frame.TFS
CT

  • Great 
  • optic Gold Star Critiquer [C: 322 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2005-10-20 21:48]

Woooowww ! it's so cute :-) great capture Pam composition is very nice, light & colours superb !

Great work !

  • Great 
  • NINIX Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 161 W: 48 N: 347] (2885)
  • [2005-12-08 15:00]

Hi Pam,
Maybe for you allready an old one but I saw it when looking trough your file.
I teach art and have the idea to draw a Christmas stable. This sheep fits perfect!

Good shot of the free ride.

Thanks,

Hendrik

Very nice composition and colors. The light is right as well. The bird looks cute standing there.

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