Pine Siskin

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Pine Siskin
Photo Information
Copyright: Helene Provencher (chouette) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 302 W: 0 N: 843] (3000)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-03-04
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon EF300mm 4/L IS
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/400 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-03-04 22:47
Viewed: 1140
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note

Hello TN friends!
Today was a beautiful day (around zero degrees) and I went to Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area to walk in the trails and observe the birds. I saw some Pine Siskins and they were singing like on a spring day.

Hope you like this one!
Thanks for comments.

Have a nice day :-D

Pine Siskin - Carduelis pinus
Cool fact: Pine Siskins are the most frequently encountered member of the irruptive winter finches—a group of finches that breeds in the northern portions of North America and periodically stages major winter invasions into central latitudes of North America. These incursions may occur for lack of food in their typical wintering areas.


Pine Siskins are approximately 5 inches (13 centimeters) in length. A small streaky finch with a pale, thin, pointed bill, Pine Siskins have dark wings and a tail that has a variable amount of yellow.

The Pine Siskin is a highly social bird and can often be found at feeders in large flocks or mixed with winter flocks of American Goldfinches. The distinctive single- or double-note flight call of the Pine Siskin is often heard throughout North America in the fall.

Description: The head, throat, and nape of Pine Siskins are buffy and finely streaked with dark brown. They also have an indistinct dark brown eye stripe. From the mantle to the rump, Pine Siskins are buffy and broadly streaked with dark brown. The underparts are whitish and finely streaked with dark brown. The wings are primarily blackish in color, with the median coverts having buffy edges; the base of the outer primaries is broadly marked with yellow (on males) and buff (on females). The black tail is notched, and the outer tail feathers have yellow bases.

A single race of Pine Siskin, Carduelis pinus pinus,breeds from southern Alaska through Canada to Newfoundland, and south to northern New England. Year-round, their range extends from Alaska through the Rocky Mountains to northern Arizona.

Pine Siskins are irregularly common to abundant in their breeding areas—in other words, one year they might be found in abundance at a particular location, whereas the next year they are totally absent. They are also an irregular migrant, occasionally staging massive irruptions into the middle portions of North America, which can extend as far south as central Florida. These irruptions may be related to fluctuations in their food supply, which consists of seeds and buds from conifers, birches, and alders.


Speed: 1/400
F-stop: f/5
ISO: 200
Focal Length: 300mm
Exposure compensation: -1/3
Tripod
 
jeanpaul, toni_ro, shal, JPlumb, fiyo, pvs, coasties, Adanac, fartash, Tamrock, jaycee, horia, snowfalken, scottevers7, saeedabbasi, marieproue has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Salut Hélène,
I like very much this composition, the cute subject, the frame and the instructive note.
Hoping to emphasize a little the details of the beautiful plumage, I attempted a quick workshop. I hope you don't mind.
Regards,
Toni.

  • Great 
  • shal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 287 W: 71 N: 499] (2086)
  • [2007-03-04 23:59]

Hello Helene,
I admire the asthetics of this image,
very simple with alot of details and lovely colours,
the bokeh is very sober and appealing,
Cheers :D

Hi Helene, this is a good composition of this Pine Siskin. You have him well positioned on that branch and you have utilized excellent depth of field to isolate him from his background. The colour and detail on the bird are very good. Very nice eye.

Thanks, John

  • Great 
  • fiyo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 5 N: 2200] (7988)
  • [2007-03-05 2:04]

Hello Helene,
Wonderful capture.POV,colors,details,framing and composition are excellent.TFS

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1133 W: 259 N: 2406] (10803)
  • [2007-03-05 2:28]

Hi Helene,

A great shot of this siskin,well captured against a nice clear BG,it got a great POV and is well composed,TFS

Paul

Hi Helene

What a little cutie! Love the pose. Nice OOF BG to compliment the image. It looks a little dull on my monitor looks like it needs some contrast. TFS.

Hi, a good simple image with good complimenting colors. I would prefer more DOP so that more of the bird could be in focus. is that a worm-like thing at its side on the branch!?

bonjour Helene,

très belle prise de vue supebement bien cadrée belle couleurs et composition bravo

eric

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1043 W: 1 N: 4027] (13244)
  • [2007-03-05 7:15]

Hi Helene,
WOW, simply beautiful capture. Ths composition is exquite, the details and colors are excellent, great job Helene.
Rick

Hello Helene
Very nice shot of this Pine Siskin,
Excellent composition and lighting,
Welldone.

Regards
Fartash

hi helene!
beautiful picture on this fine bird!
sharp with nice pov and dof
well done!

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1665 W: 8 N: 4088] (13098)
  • [2007-03-05 11:17]

Hi Helene,

A lovely shot of the Siskin. It is a beautiful picture and I love the simplicity of it. The pose on the branch and the lovely BG are a plus.

Jane

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2072 W: 218 N: 3601] (11746)
  • [2007-03-05 13:05]

Hi Helene

Another slpendid capture from you!
This Pine Siskins looks wonderful here and i really love the composition that you managed to make here.
The DOF chosen here by you is really terrific and the natural colors look wonderful and well saturated.
The details are a very bit soft, but that really doesn't affect this beautiful shot.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Bonjour Hélène
Ce petit oiseau est vraiment mignon, et j'aime beaucoup sa pose sur sa branche ! Les détails, les couleurs et la composition sont magnifiques, de même que le point de vue.
Félicitations et au revoir...JP
Les sourires demain

Hello Helene,

This is a great presentation of a beautifully captured Pine Siskin! The excellent technical and artistic value of this shot is obvious from the very first glance.
It's useless to speak about the flawless composition and how good this bird looks on a plain, natural background. At the beginning I was tempted to say that I would have avoided the branch to exit the frame exactly through one corner but then I realized that I wasn't able to find a better framing. Very well done!
The colors are natural and good looking. In this regard I appreciate how the light gray color is present throughout the picture (including the background) creating a harmonious unity.
The sharp details in the plumage and the beautiful light in the bird's face are just a few of the strengths of this picture. A very good idea to wait for the bird to turn its face to one side so you can capture the silhouette of the beak against the background. If the subject was facing the camera the results wouldn't have been this good.
I also find the frame very appropriate for this picture. It doesn't compete with the subject for attention. A wonderful work with great and useful notes! Thanks!

With Friendly Regards,
Eddie

Belle photo , d' un bel oiseau,les couleurs sont extras et les détails sont bien nets. Amicalement Thomas

Hi Helene,
A superb shot on this Pine Siskin. I really like your composition and framing on the shot. Soft light and a spot on exposure. Colors and detail look great. The long lens did a great job on the seperation and isolation from the nice OOF backround. Very well done!
Scott

  • Great 
  • kona Silver Star Critiquer [C: 39 W: 3 N: 0] (861)
  • [2007-03-07 21:03]

Hi Helene,A good expression. Good composition. It is a favorite photograph calmly.A beautiful and a background.
I always watch your photograph. I like a photograph of a white owl. I want to take a photograph like you, too.Best wishes, kona

Hi Helene ,
excellent shot with great details.
very nice BG and excellent composition.
great work
Regards
Saeed

  • Great 
  • delic Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 530 W: 6 N: 340] (936)
  • [2007-03-08 11:58]

Great photo of this cute siskin... Smoot background, good focus on the eye. Well done and TFS. Regards,
Hakan

Olá Helene
Very nice shot.
I like the colors and composition.
Regards from Portugal
;-)

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