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Stonechat


Stonechat
Photo Information
Copyright: Pekka Valo (pekkavalo1) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 423 W: 54 N: 2120] (6789)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-27
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 40D, Canon 100-400 L + 1.4x Extender, RAW ISO 800, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1 x
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite Bird photos -2- [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-09-27 6:00
Viewed: 3386
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A male European Stonechat at RSPB Dungeness nature reserve.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, family Muscicapidae. They, with similar small species in the family, are often called chats.

The European Stonechat is somewhat smaller than the European Robin. Both sexes have distinctively short wings, shorter than those of the more migratory Whinchat and Siberian Stonechat. The summer male rubicola has black upperparts, a black head, an orange throat and breast, and a white belly and vent. It also has white patches on the sides of its neck, a small white scapular patch on the wings, and a very small white patch on the rump often streaked with black. The female has paler brown upperparts and head, and no white neck patches, rump or belly, these areas being streaked dark brown on paler brown, the only white being the scapular patch on the wings and even this often being buffy-white.

European Stonechats breed in heathland, coastal dunes and rough grassland with scattered small shrubs and bramble, open gorse, tussocks or heather. They are non-migratory or short-distance migrants, with part of the population moving south to winter further south in Europe and more widely in north Africa.

The male has a clicking call like stones knocking together, for which it was named. The song is high and twittering like a Dunnock.

Two doubtfully distinct subspecies are accepted: the Central European Stonechat S. r. rubicola in the south and east of its range, and the Western European Stonechat of western and NW Europe, notably the Atlantic coastal areas, S. r. hibernans. They are hardly different in appearance, but nDNA microsatellite fingerprinting reveals some degree of separation. Together, these two races are found throughout western, central and southern Europe, the extreme northwest of Africa and western Turkey.
eqshannon, Argus, jaycee, iris, Dis. Ac., CeltickRanger, Adanac has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2008-09-27 6:03]

Hello Pekka,
Perfect and sharp details. Very well exposed. Love the background. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Siggi

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2008-09-27 6:31]

Hello Pekka,
Excellent photo in great sharpness and details. Very beautiful colours and composition.
Regards,
Peter

Well set off from the backdrop of blue (sky). Nice natural colours with no PP messing...and classic pose...Well noted. Sometimes the simple basics are all one needs.
Bob

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2008-09-27 6:44]

Hello Pekka,
A fine capture of a male Stonechat, its rich rusty-coloured breast well seen from this frontal POV taken with good sharpness against a blue sky. Nice composition on the bare branch too.
TFS this beauty,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • eliz Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 167 W: 20 N: 271] (1537)
  • [2008-09-27 8:11]

beautiful eye contact

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2008-09-27 10:10]

Hi Pekka. A fine pose from the Stonechat in the tree. Good detail and warm colours against the blue sky. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2008-09-27 10:37]

Hi Pekka,

I've never seen a Stonechat but he looks adorable. I love the pose on the bare branch. It's wonderful how the eye stands out from the dark feathers on his face. Colors and details are superb. A lovely bird and a lovely composition.

Jane

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 479 W: 60 N: 970] (3088)
  • [2008-09-27 23:31]

very fine compsoition framing the bird to the left in a wonderful lighting and thereby highlighting the beautiful broqwn of the stone chat.
Lovely details and i love the catchlight i its eye.Well done
TFS & Cheers

Hi Pekka,

great shot of this little Stonechat.
Beautiful colours and nice pov.
I have been this one not ye on photo.

Gert

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 988 W: 4 N: 3277] (14761)
  • [2008-09-28 4:38]

Hello Pekka, Very nice shot and good details. Excellent composition and lovely BG. Ganesh

hello Pekka

excellent shot of this beautiful bird, with fine POV and framing,
beautiful warm luminosity and colours tones, also beautiful
catch-light at the eye that improves the image,
excellent sharpness and details of the plumage, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2008-09-28 21:57]

Hello Pekka,
What a colorful little one with splendid details throughout. Thanks for sharing this wonderful Image Pekka.
Rick

Hi Pekka, great diagonal composition with lovely little bird, fantastic colors, superb details and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2008-09-29 15:20]

Great shot of this Stonechat.
The colours are superb.
Sharp with good detail.
Excellent BG.

Well done,
Joe

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1393 W: 119 N: 5267] (23955)
  • [2008-10-03 17:42]

Wow excellent shot my friend! Beautiful pose of the bird, good light and exposure. I love it!

Mario

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