| Actual Image
Ant Hunter (68)
Argus
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2707 W: 139 N: 7809]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (24333) | Recently I posted my first image of a Bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica). After taking some shots at a fairly close range my son and I sat down to watch the pair sufficiently far away so as not to disturb them.
They were both so busy hunting insects that our presence at a distance of about 12 meters (40ft) from where we assumed the nest to be did not appear to disrupt them. The male was more open in his activities while the female (see WORKSHOP) was more secretive. However I managed to get a poor shot of her in the shade. This one has hardly any blue at all.
The male caught a winged female of our largest species of ant a species of Carpenter Ant (Camponotus herculaneus). The winged females are up to 18mm long. This species is widespread in the whole country and is more common at higher altitudes like here at 750 meters (2460ft). I tried to photograph one without success.
Bluethroats are summer visitors to the Swedish Mountains and to the tundra regions. They even nest in low bushes above the tree-line. The Swedish ssp has a red spot in the blue, the C and S. European a white spot, while the Turkish and Caucasian ssp has an entirely blue throat.
This was taken at a distance of about 12 meters and though it is heavily cropped, noisy in places, and has a busy BG, I thought it was worth posting to show not only how striking the breast is when the male stretches his neck, but the vegetation that includes Blueberry in flower.
The camera was resting on my knee while sitting and it was taken in the late afternoon. After heavy cropping and size reduction the image was selectively sharpened. |
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