| Actual Image
One of Rick's Birds (36)
JPlumb
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 644 W: 160 N: 894]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (2837) | This is a portrait of an Apostle Bird (Struthidea cinerea). It is a very gregarious bird, and is almost always seen in the company of several others.
They are found within inland areas of Eastern Australia. They feed on seeds and vegetable matter, insects and other invertebrates. They are typically found in woodland areas, but in autumn and winter they will move to more open areas. They tend to forage on the ground.
They form a breeding unit of around ten related birds, with a dominant male and several females, as well as immature birds, that act as helpers. The nest is a large mud bowl, reinforced and lined with grasses, placed on a horizontal branch, 3-20 m high. All members of the group assist in building the nest, as well as feeding the young. More than one female will lay eggs in the nest, and all of the adults will incubate the eggs. Two broods of about 4 birds will be raised in this manner in a season.
This is a bird I had never seen or even heard of before. I believe it is new to TN as well. My wife and I dropped in to see Rick Cridland (rcrick) and family, and I had to take a couple of shots in this wonderful backyard that they’ve created. Rick is a great friend of all of the birds in the area, and when the natural foliage that he and his wife have planted isn’t enough, they will supplement this with other food. The birds love it. I’ve included a couple of other shots in the workshop here and here, that show the birds on a couple of the feeders.
Much of this from: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=133
Workshop:
I follow a generic workflow now as outlined in my Bio.
Details and differences to this are as follows:
Shot taken at 150mm, ISO 320, f/5.6, 1/90 sec
Fill Flash used (-1 TTL)
Used overlay layer with 5-10% opacity black and white brush for dodging and burning
Saturation (incremental +10 to master - based on proof colours compare)
Saved at 100% quality for 230K |
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