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Male Chaffinch


Male Chaffinch
Photo Information
Copyright: Hilary Wilkinson (Hil) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 696 W: 13 N: 1407] (5035)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-03-26
Categories: Birds
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50, Panasonic DMW-LT55
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Chaffinch's [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-05-13 14:31
Viewed: 4274
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello all,

Cheers for all your comments on my previous posts or thanks for just taking a look.

Not my best shot but I thought it was worth posting, its cropped quite a bit as the chaffinch was quite high up in the tree, also its a bit noisey and I'm not happy with the branch in the bottom R/Hand corner.

This Chaffinch was singing but had stopped to listen for a reply as I pressed the shutter

Listen to his Song here or watch a short video clip of Chaffinches feeding their young

Some info...

The Chaffinch, (Fringilla coelebs), is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Its large double white wing bars, white tail edges and greenish rump easily identify this 14-16 cm long species. The breeding male is unmistakable, with his reddish underparts and a grey cap. The female is drabber and greener, but still obvious.

This bird is widespread and very familiar throughout Europe. It is the most common finch in western Europe. Its range extends into western Asia, northwestern Africa, the Canary Islands and Madeira. On Tenerife and Gran Canaria, it coexists with its sister species, the endemic Blue Chaffinch.

Behaviour

It uses a range of habitats, but open woodland is favoured, although it is common in gardens and on farmland. It builds its nest in a tree fork, and decorates the exterior with moss or lichen to make it less conspicuous. It lays about six eggs.

This bird is not migratory in the milder parts of its range, but vacates the colder regions in winter. The coelebs part of its name means "bachelor". This species was named by Linnaeus; in his home country of Sweden, where the females depart in winter, but the males often remain. This species forms loose flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with Bramblings. This bird occasionally strays to eastern North America, although some sightings may be escapees.

The food of the Chaffinch is seeds, but unlike most finches, the young are fed extensively on insects.

The powerful song is very well known, and its fink or vink sounding call gives the finch family its English name. Males typically sing two or three different song types, and there are regional dialects too.
The acquisition by the young Chaffinch of its song was the subject of an influential study by British ethologist William Thorpe. Thorpe determined that if the Chaffinch is not exposed to the adult male's song during a certain critical period after hatching, it will never properly learn the song. He also found that in adult Chaffinches, castration eliminates song, but injection of testosterone induces such birds to sing even in November, when they are normally silent (Thorpe 1958).

Note from Wilkipedia.com Song from R.S.P.B Website
CeltickRanger, eqshannon, gracious, goldyrs, gannu, Alex99, inked, Royaldevon, hester, dB_grafix, ramthakur, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To dB_grafix: ThanksHil 2 05-20 22:31
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Critiques [Translate]

hello Hilary

excellent shot of this Chaffinch, with a fine POV, DOF and framing,
beautiful luminosity of the image, excellent sharpness and detail
and i love that catch-light at the eye that it chage the aspect
of the image by improving it, TFS

Asbed

Good fast camera work upwards at the angle where the bird obviously felt safe for a bit! I tend to get dizzy looking up but it may be my camera weight....Nice presentation...All over good show!
Bob

Hello Hilary,
Very good size posting to enjoy the full closeness of this beautiful in a great pov!
the lighting here is so beautiful with sharpness, nice colour and details
good image well pleased
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • djw (74)
  • [2008-05-13 18:43]

Hi Hilary, I like this. Great color and clarity. I'm seeing a strange horizontal line across part of the shot, however. If you look a couple of cms above the foot, there is a strange digital line that runs off to the left side of the shot. Or is it just that my computer is playing tricks on me?
Cheers, Dave

A lovely shot, Hilary.Very nice POV chosen and very finely detailed.
Goldy

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 586 W: 12 N: 1682] (6165)
  • [2008-05-13 19:23]

Hello Hil,
Very nice and colorful bird. Great picture, well composed and very sharp.
..Well done

Everton

very nice pov,great detail and sharpness.beautiful colors!

Hello hillary,

great shot of this Chatfinch.

Gert

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1772 W: 36 N: 5597] (18598)
  • [2008-05-13 21:39]

Hi Hilary,
Wonderful shot of this proud looking Chaffinch. Lovely colours and sharpness on its plumage with superb natural lighting and exposure levels. I like the natural setting and the mossy branch it is perched on. Excellent POV and composition. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 988 W: 4 N: 3277] (14761)
  • [2008-05-14 1:28]

Hello Hillary, What a nice plummage here. The bird's eye is actually covered due to the plummage. Excellent sharpness and lovely detail. Ganesh

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2008-05-14 3:46]

Hi Hil.
We all know that birds like high trees. We can we do? I like the picture so much. It is not look noise. Exposure, lights and colours are wonderful. Sharpness and details of the bird features and twig are simply great. Diagonal composition of the image is superb. My compliments. Next perfect bird image from you for our pleasure.
Alexei.

Hello Hilary,
Nice point of view and the little fellow is captured with fine details as he is enjoying the spring sun!
Good reproduction of the plumage, and I notice the lichen on the branch...
------
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for support and advice during my time here!
It has been great and I have learned a lot through the many fine presentations in TrekNature!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hi Hilary,
They are beautiful creatures with superb colors. This was a difficult POV but the result looks very nice with great catchlight and composition. Details and colors are also good. Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • inked Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 132 W: 0 N: 249] (771)
  • [2008-05-15 1:25]

hi Hilary,
nice shot of this chaffinch. that pov from underneath can be quite difficult to get a nice pose with face included, but you got it with catchlight and all. nicely focused with good detail. nice color and interesting composition. well done and tfs
Gethin

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1393 W: 119 N: 5267] (23955)
  • [2008-05-16 6:58]

Hello Hilary, I really like those Chaffinches, I'd like to see one for real someday. I like your composition and the overall quality of that picture, very well done, thanks!

Mario

Hello Hil,

What a great pov to capture this male chaffinch! His fine buff chest looks full and ready to force out his distinctive 'bowler' song!
Lovely sharp details and good composition with the transverse, lichen covered twig. Good natural colours!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2008-05-18 9:42]

Hi Hilary

Wonderful view of this chaffinch peering down at the nice lady with the funny box. You have caught some lovely details in the feathers and you have shown off the lovely blush colours. Good DOF and sharpness

TFS

Karan

Your focus and details are very nice on this Hilary. You can either not get the shot or get it and not worry so much about the surroundings. I prefer to take it, because there is always a way to work with it.
You have the light, and a good point of view.
I did a workshop to it, and it is something I have to do as well, because many of the birds I take have the same branches around, and I want the shot.
I like it.
TFS,
Doug

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-05-20 21:47]

Hello Hil

A lovely capture of this beautiful chaffinch.
The plumage shows well.The colours are wonderful.
Well focused the pov is very good.
Very nice eye glint too.
TFS

Rob

Hello Hilary
Tes photos d'oiseaux sont toujours plus belles les unes que les autres! Tu es une vrai spécialiste! J'aime bien la zone de netteté sur la branche avec sa mousse et l'oiseau. L'oiseau est bien mis en valeur dans son cadre et les couleurs sont chaudes. Super photo!
Merci et au revoir...JP

From this perspective, the bird looks plump but cute, Hilary.
You have managed a well framed image with perfect clarity and quite natural colours.
The bird and the branch stand out sharp and clear against the OOF bokeh BG.
TFS and regards.
Ram

Nice job Hil,
Excellent DOF, detail, and comp, this POV from below works well.
Nice colors and catchlight also :)
Well done & TFS!
Howard

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