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Bali Mynah - my first birds


Bali Mynah - my first birds
Photo Information
Copyright: MY Wong (Seabird) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 184 W: 0 N: 359] (1387)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-08-09
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 10D, Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC
Exposure: f/6.7, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-08-12 0:45
Viewed: 8475
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 74
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Dear all,

These birds were taken during my first bird-insect-plant trip last Saturday. Indeed, they are among my first batch of birds I have ever photographed.

I would like to thank all the nature photographers here at TN -your wonderful photos, comments, pointers and encouragement have inspired and encouraged me to take this very first step - beyond my original stomping ground of flowers, trees and sky.

about this photo, these birds were taken in the Edward Youde Aviary of Hong Kong Park, where an elevated walkway allows visitors to walk through the tree canopy and get really close to the birds.

Apart from the birds in the aviary, I have also taken some birds flying free outside the aviary. I will post them later this week.

I look forward to your comments and pointers for improvement. many thanks!

Chrs,
Man Yee

from http://www.mynahbird.org/species/bali/bali.html

Bali is an Indonesian island located on the western most part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east.

The Bali Mynah is distributed and endemic to the island of Bali, where it is the island's only surviving endemic species. This rare bird was discovered in 1910 and is one of the world's most critically endangered birds. In fact, it has been hovering immediately above extinction in the wild for several years now (BirdLife International 2006).

The last stronghold of the species is at Bali Barat National Park; about 1,000 individuals are believed to be held in captivity legally. In fact, the Bali Starling is so much in danger that that national park has been set up just for the Bali Starling's survival. The wild population was at an all-time low of just 6 birds in 2001, after the late-1990s wild population of 3-4 dozen was reduced by poachers for the illegal pet trade.

There is at least one well-funded armed gang with access to bomb-making equipment and possibly inside information that raided the local breeding and release facilities in the early 2000s. In the attack the group maliciously shot and killed eighty-five workers. Only one gang member was felled by local authorities while the remaining suspects safely escaped. Continuing releases raised the number of wild birds to 24 by March, 2005.

The Bali Starling is listed in Appendix I of CITES. Trade even in captive-bred specimens is strictly regulated and the species is not generally available legally to private individuals. However, experienced aviculturalists may become affiliated with the captive-breeding program, allowing them to legally keep this species.

Male and female Bali mynahs look alike, having beautiful white feathers, black tipped wings and tails, and a bright powder blue crescent of skin around the eyes. Their heads are topped off by a lacy white crest of feathers. They are about the size of cardinals.

Poaching and timber harvesting are among the greatest threat to the survival of the Bali mynah in the wild. Conservation initiatives enacted over the past two decades to have been ineffective in increasing this species numbers in the wild.
Janice, uleko, Kaszek, sranjan, crs, mala-zaba, CeltickRanger, gracious, parthasarathi, pierrefonds, rcrick, paromitadey has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gracious: thanks!!Seabird 1 08-18 04:09
To mala-zaba: thanks!Seabird 1 08-13 03:53
To efsus: thanks!!Seabird 1 08-12 01:56
To Janice: thanks!Seabird 1 08-12 01:49
To betsie: thanks!!Seabird 1 08-12 01:46
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Critiques [Translate]

Well done Man Yee on these 2 birds. You have focused really well on the front bird's face. Its facial details are so clear. And what beautiful birds they are. You have a good camera and lens - so we can expect more like this from now on.
I see it is also known also known as Rothschild’s Mynah - I can see the same eye patterns (but different colours) as our local mynahs.
Well done
Janice

excellent white color and pose birds.

What a beautiful shot! Such good colours - Well captured.

  • Great 
  • vral Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 65 W: 1 N: 218] (1049)
  • [2008-08-12 1:48]

Hello Man Yee,
Very nice capture of these Bali Mynahs. Very interesting colors which we don't get to see in India. POV and composition are very good.
Thanks for sharing
vral

  • Great 
  • efsus Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 415 W: 11 N: 843] (3947)
  • [2008-08-12 1:52]
  • [+]

Merhaba Man Yee,
Bunlar ne kadar güzel kuşlar böyle. Oldukça fantastik bir renklere sahip bu kuşların varlığından bile haberim yoktu. Hem başarılı çekimleriniz hem de bunları bizimle paylaştığınız için çok teşekkürler. Başka karelerde görüşmek dileği ile.
Hoşçakal.
Hüseyin

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2008-08-12 2:21]

Hello Man Yee,
These Bali Starling are really fabulous and I like your capture very much showing two of them together enjoying the fruit. A very nice composition in beautiful colours. With a smaller aperture you would have got the two in focus but even so for your first bird capture this is very nice. Maybe you were too close or have cropped it a little too tightly as well. They have a similar huge aviary in Singhapore which was great to visit.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hi MY!

Beautiful species! The colours and composition are fantastic!
Congratulations by the great album!

Regards.
Paulo.

What beautiful and unique birds. Every time i look at the incredable variety and beauty reflected in nature, it seems like living art to me. Its a lovely capture, lovely colours, pov and sharpness.

Cheers
Nicki

Hello Man Yee,
What a fantastic portrait of this beautiful birds!
Sharpness is OK, very good POV and DOF.
TFS
Kaszek

It's exciting to me anyways to capture wildlife esp birds. Nicely done.. Will look forward to more..

Best Regards,
Jane

Very nice photo of these birds. They are always difficult as they constantly move, but you've done a good job with the focus and the birds grouped together. They are very interesting subjects.

Hello Man Yee,
Very beautiful capture of these unique birds. I am seeing them for the first time. TFS.
Regards-Dr Subhash

  • Great 
  • Chiza Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 133 W: 0 N: 474] (5351)
  • [2008-08-12 18:44]

Hola Man Yee: Una foto impresionante de un ave increible...saludos.Luis.

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1538 W: 5 N: 2240] (12636)
  • [2008-08-12 19:10]

Bonjour My,

Superbe oiseaux.
Merci pour le partage.
Joseph

  • Great 
  • crs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 469 W: 0 N: 922] (3551)
  • [2008-08-12 20:49]

Hello Man Yee,

I like your photo with this two birds as it has a very nice and delicate light rendering very well the white fethers of the bird. You have chosen a good DOF keeping in focus mostly the first bird. Nice composition too with the red fruit near the birds.

Thank you for sharing,
Cristian

Very beautiful capture ! Congratulations.

Philippe

Hello Man Yee,
The exposure is very well managed. The birds is sharp. I will prefer more space around the birds.
TFS
Eric

hello Man Yee

for a first shot of birds, it is a close-up great image, WOW !
very fine POV, DOF and framing, beautiful colour tones,
specially the blue and red colour tones, excellent sharpness
and details, and a wonderful eye-contact with you,
congratulations for this first bird shot, TFS

Asbed

Hello Man Yee,

This is a very good first.
You have the front bird perfectly in focus and that allows the viewer to assorb its details.
A very nicely composed shot with the slightly out of focus bird in the b/g.
The red fruit adds just the right amount of colour.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Beautiful shot! The bright red looks very contrasting with the white birds. Good composition too. Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1393 W: 119 N: 5267] (23955)
  • [2008-08-16 18:22]

Hello Man Yee, those are very beautiful birds and you've done a great picture of it, well composed with great technical qualities, well done, thanks!

Mario

Hello Manyee,
I seem to miss your first presentation of this two beautys!
the pose is great with good clarity, nice colour and details!
the closeness is excellent too
keep it up and sincere regards to you in HK
Tony Ho

A perfectly focused and composed shot. Beautiful .

  • Great 
  • mavrik (12)
  • [2008-08-20 15:14]

Thank you MY for a great photograph. It's always a good feeling to see something, that you have never seen before. The composition is great the color are awsome, the beauty and the peaceful nature of this shot is great.
Can't wait to see more of your bird shots, first one was great...

TFS,
ramin

It is a beautiful bird, so pristine white and different than other mynas I have seen! Maybe breeding some in capitivity is the only chance for them?

very beautiful birds, pity it is a little out of focus, TFS Ori

Man, this is really beautiful for your first attempt. Good job. Bill

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2008-08-28 2:46]

Hello Man Yee,
During the last month I was on a holiday. Now I see this wonderful photo. Beautiful colours and a great pose. Excellent composition.
Kind regards,
Peter

Wow! Bellissima ripresa! La composizione è soprattutto molto azzeccata. Gli uccelli sembrano uno il sosia dell'altro!

Ciao e grazie, Emanuele

Hi My,

The Bali Mynah on the branch are impressive. The subject is well frame. The point of view is allowing us to see the details and colors of the birds. The colors are enhanced by the luminosity. Have a nice day.

Pierre

Wooow , beautiful capture, I see the withe a little over expouse, for shure you have a nice aproach to the subjet, perhaps with a little tuch of flash & more deep feelds... First time I see this bird, TFS.
greatings
Roberto

What a nice bird.
Great colors.Good composition.

Hi Man Yee,

Many thanks for the feedback its really appreciated, I think this is the first time I've seen your work, you have an amazing gallery with some stunning images, this is beautiful, stunning detail in the whites of the plumage, beautiful eye colour, and the composition is perfect, really lovely work, I will be back soon for a closer look at some of your other images, take care.

Rick :)

hi,
Hey wonderful photograph of these 2 birds..good composition and POV..Superb.

TFS,
Anil Pinto

hello My wong
great picture
good colours and details
beautiful birds i have never seen before
greeting lou

Hi Man,

Great capture And composition . wonderful birds Wow!nice colors and detail Bravo!
Have a good day
Tfs
Gaston

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2009-04-09 3:35]

Hi Man Yee,
really beautiful. Well captured in whites and they are lovely in its pose.
The eye is in good focus giving the bird a good presentation.

Regards,
foozi

  • Great 
  • Zeno Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 483 W: 0 N: 1345] (10867)
  • [2010-08-19 4:02]

Hi MY,

Congratulations with this beautiful shot. For me these are unknown birds.The colors, sharpness, composition and background are outstanding.My compliments!

regards,
Zeno

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