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A big meal


A big meal
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2010-05-05
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D300, AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 G, Digital RAW
Exposure: f/8, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Goldys' Personal Favorites [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2010-10-05 7:02
Viewed: 4634
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A Yellow-billed Stork with a huge Sheat-fish. A Grey-headed Gull is waiting for the pieces. This photo is taken from a small boat.

Scientific Name: Mycteria ibis
Geographical Range: Tropical Africa; Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar

Habitat: Aquatic habitats, including shallow lakes, mud flats, coastal lagoons and meadows.

Diet in the Wild: Feeds on crustaceans, small fish, frogs, insects and worms.

Physical Description:
Adult male yellow-billed storks have a smooth forehead and their face is orangey-red. Their bills are long and thick at the base. It is also slightly curved at the tip and bright yellow, hence their name. Their necks are also long and slender and grayish white. The rest of their body including their back, belly and breast is solid white with a small hint of pink on the tips of their feathers. Their tail and wing quills are black The yellow-billed storks legs vary from a dark red to a light pink color and are long and skinny. It’s hard to believe that their legs can support their plump, round bodies. The female storks are a lot like the male storks, however the females are smaller.

Social Organization:
The yellow-billed storks do not flock in large social groups. These storks do not socialize much with one another either. These wading birds like to isolate themselves in swamps, muddy rivers and other large areas of shallow, marshy waters. These birds move around slowly and deliberately. The yellow-billed storks are extremely inactive, they rest and feed for most of the day.

Special Adaptations:
The yellow-billed storks have remarkable adaptation. These birds are know to have the quickest muscular reflex of the neck, allowing almost all food to be caught in the water. Their long, narrow, curve tipped bills allow them only to catch small prey such as small fish, frogs, insects and worms passing by in the water. Yellow-billed storks are intelligent birds. These birds created a technique to help them catch more prey in the water. They typically use one foot to stir up the water or mud which disturbs and flushes out the prey. Then they submerge their heads quickly in the water snapping their bills on small prey. Yellow-billed storks bills are great fishing tools.
Reproductive Behavior:
The female yellow-billed storks approaches the courtship among the male yellow-billed storks. Together they build a bulky nest made of sticks and the male chooses where the nest is to be built. The two storks work vigorously together to build a nest and can do so within 7-10 days. These nests are usually built high in trees away from predators. The storks breed almost year round. At breeding colonies the storks make a hissing sound. Incubation period can last up to 30 days and between 2-3 eggs are laid on alternate days.

Source: Whozoo.org
Dis. Ac., eqshannon, haraprasan, boreocypriensis, joska, siggi, marius-secan, eng55, Argus, cirano, jconceicao, anemone, uleko, rousettus, Luis52, goldyrs, anel, CeltickRanger, jusninasirun has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
Animal Behaviouringridshaul 1 10-05 07:55
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Critiques [Translate]

That's what I call a dynamic shot Peter! A shot which tells you a story! Great detail fantastic sharpness briliant light and composition. Bravo my friend! Impressive capture indeed.
Regards,
George Veltchev

Goedenmiddag buurman Peter,

mooie foto van deze Ibis in zijn natuurlijke omgeving.
En dat extraatje in de vorm van de vliegende meeuw.
Goede scherpte en detaileing.Prachtige natuurlijke kleuren.

Gert

Small boat indeed. The water there looks shallow....nice "hide":-) Good catch as well on the second bird coming in for a piece of the action!
Bob

Hi Peter,
A lovely capture of this beautiful and huge yellow billed stork with a big fish in its mouth and also the gull. Good timing, good details and a nice composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hi Peter,

Very dynamic and perfect timely capture indeed. One in-fligh, a jelous one is coming to stole the meal i think:)
Lovely scene MF!
TFS and cheers,

Bayram

Dear Peter
A great Action Photo! Thank you for showing it on TrekNature and all the work in assembling the educative notes.

Africa is irresistible, isn't it?!?

You coped well with the reflections of the sun in the water - which makes focusing always a bit tricky and particularly exposure difficult.

A beautiful document - thank you - it is a true pleasure viewing your work.

Have a nice afternoon
Warm Greetings from South Africa
Ingrid

Hello,
Beautiful composition, wonderful dynamic photo.
Regards
Lucja

Ciao Peter, great capture of lovely couple, wonderful action shoot, splendid natural ambientation, good colors, fine details and excellent sharpness, very well done my friend, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 806 W: 0 N: 4092] (22535)
  • [2010-10-05 9:33]

Hi Peter,
Splendid photo of this Yellow-billed Stork with one big Fish, TFS!

Ciao Peter. Cood contrast here so like colours results. Interesting dynamic capture.

Roberto

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2010-10-05 11:06]

Hello Peter,
this a great picture with nice colours and a nice bg.The exposure and sharpness are spot on.
To top it off just great timing on this action shot.Best regards Siggi

Hello Peter,
Amazing capture with wonderful details and colours.
Exceptional composition with the storks being watcht by the Gull.
Congratulation!
Marius.

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1256 W: 42 N: 1976] (5892)
  • [2010-10-05 12:13]

Hi peter,
Very nice scane.Well caught,framed and composed.POV,exposure and details are also wonderful.Very well done!
Thanks for sharing..

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2010-10-05 12:21]

Hello Peter,
A well captured scene of both a Yellow-billed Stork and a Grey-headed Gull. Both are taken with fine sharpness and natural colours to make an excellent action shot. The huge fish that the stork has captured is well seen and the hovering gull taken from a nice POV in a pleasing composition.
Thanks and kind regards,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 997 W: 0 N: 944] (13609)
  • [2010-10-05 13:08]

Hello Peter,
A very nice composition with great timing.Excellent details and sharpness.TFS.Regards,
Dűrzan

Hello Peter,

Fantastic photo.
Timing and composition are superb.
Light,focus and definition are excellent.

Hello Peter,
Your yesterday's shot was sublime; this shot of today are sublime and 100% dynamic!... Congratulations, very atractive image MF!
Regards, TFS, Jesús

Hi Peter. Very beautiful capture of these lovely birds while feeding.
Details, composition and your POV are great. TFS.
Kind regards,
Özgür

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2010-10-06 3:20]

Hello Peter,
an excellent moment well captured. The birds are well seen and the action is well noticed.
you waited at the best time to show the excitement.
A good view in splendid sharpness and clarity.

regards,
Foozi

To get a photo this sharp from a small boat is some feat! Fantastic action shot, well done!

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2010-10-06 11:54]

Hello Peter,
Fantastic capture of this beautiful scene! Excellent timing showing this fine Yellow-billed Stork in action. The Gull is a great bonus here too and both birds are very nicely in focus.
Excellent work!
TFS and besty wishes, Ulla

hallo Peter
very nice action shot of hunter Yellow billed Stork and flying gull. you nicely focused and composed. thanks for this beautiful sharing. best wishes
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1175 W: 8 N: 4240] (15809)
  • [2010-10-06 17:16]

Hola Peter.
Una muy bella imagen, llena de hermosos colores y accion.
Exelente momento capturado en esta escena.
Saludos Peter.
Luis52.

Hola Peter

Vaya dos por una y ambos con gran nitidez, una bella composición y buen POV.

Un saludo de Antonio

Gran habilidad al meter a las dos aves en foco: y con que nitidez !
También oportunidad al sorprender al ave con el pez en su pico.
Buena luz. Un excelente trabajo.
Saludos: Josep Ignasi.

What timing, Peter!
very well done!
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2010-10-08 5:30]

Hello Peter,
This is the kind of shot I like especially. A natural scene taken in a natural environment. And action we have here a lot. How lucky you have been to see this! And I don't mind, if the picture is not perfect, but excellent result if taken from a small boat!
Thanks and kind regards
Anne

hello Peter

in my absence i have missed this photo from you,
excellent timing to shoot that scenery with one
bird with his catch and the other having a eye on the meal,
shot with a fine POV, appropriate framing, fine focus sharpnes details,

TFS

Asbed

Hi Peter.
This is a great shot with one bird in flight and the stork on land. Beautiful details and the focus is sharp. Well timed capture and thanks for sharing.
Kind regards,
Jusni

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