<< Previous Next >>

white throated sparrow


white throated sparrow
Photo Information
Copyright: Jacob van der Weele (Bufo) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 69 N: 951] (4247)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-29
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 10D, 100-400L is
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/350 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): sparrow [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-30 16:01
Viewed: 4256
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
It's not easy running a young family with two kids, busy at work and at the same time trying to keep up with all the nice images here on TN. The last couple of the days I just enjoyed watching the images on TN.
Being busy means also I haven't got much time to go out to take pictures. Besides, the winter is pretty louzy, so no pretty snowy landscapes.
Well, therefor I'm going to cheat....I took this one from the archives. Found this white throated sparrow in a small nature reserve near Washington DC (forgot the name). The snow nicely lit up the underparts of the bird. Yet, it took quite some postprocessing to remove side effects of the snow (grey snow, high contrast etc...).
One thing I experienced was that birds in northern america are easier to appraoch than here in Europe. I wonder if other people feel the same about it. Anyway, hope you like this one.

The White-throated Sparrow sings its breeding song of "Oh Sweet Canada Canada Canada" across the most of that country. Although its breeding range barely extends outside of Canada, it is common in fields and hedgerows throughout the eastern United States in winter. It is found in urban areas more frequently than most sparrows.

The White-throated Sparrow comes in two color forms: white-crowned and tan-crowned. Tan-crowned birds have dull whitish or light tan head stripes, and more brownish chests that usually contain some streaking. In the spring when the sparrow is most brightly colored, most individuals are easily assigned to a color morph. In fall, the morphs are more similar and many birds appear intermediate between the two.


The two color forms of the White-throated Sparrow are determined by genetic differences, and are unique among birds. Oddly, individuals almost always mate with a bird of the opposite morph. Males of both color types prefer females with white stripes, but both kinds of females prefer tan-striped males. White-striped birds are more aggressive than tan-striped ones, and white-striped females may be able to outcompete their tan-striped sisters for tan-striped males.


Although they look nothing alike, the White-throated Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco occasionally mate and produce hybrids. The resulting offspring look like grayish, dully marked White-throated Sparrows with white outer tail feathers.
Argus, mogens-j, Adanac, coasties, uleko, horia, Tamrock, Alan_Kolnik has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To ellis49: about workshopBufo 2 01-31 02:00
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Nice shot, I will be posting one myself tomorrow. Just had these birds start visiting my area and are they tough to get to land in the branches, they appear to love staying on the ground! Anyways nice detail and good exposure, a fine job on the whites.

Greg

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-01-30 16:08]

Hello Jacob,
What a great find in your archives! Super capture of a species of American sparrow new to me. This sharp, well composed and well presented after your PP work.
The winter is lousy here too, so I'm digging into my archives as well!
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

Hello Jacob

Beautiful little sparrow and very nice captured. Very natural colours, great sharpness with plenty of details in the plumage and perfect composition with the sparrow out of centre which we do not see very often here as most people often have the main subject in the centre of the picture. I also like his (I suppose it is a male) attitude with his head high and the little reflex in the eye. Very good informative note too.

Well done
Mogens

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2007-01-30 18:40]

Hi Jacob,
Superb shot, with fantastic detail, color and composition. The kids will gone all to soon then, they bring grandkids home, I just got a new one named Jaicob.
Rick

Hi Jacob,
it's a vey nice picture with good details and lovely colours.
I realy like the low POV and the composition.
I did a WS, not for your picture need it but for me to testthe new PS CS3 Beta version, I hope you don't mind.
Very well done, mf.

Hi Jacob,
Greatly capturing this cute sparrow.
Superb sharpness, very nice details, and neat.

Ben Lakitan

Hi Jacob

This is simply brilliant! Love the pose, excellent exposure and nice catchlight in the eye. Well done!

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2007-01-31 2:34]

Hello Jacob,
Very nice capture of this beautiful sparrow in a nice pose. Pretty sharp and good focus on the head. Looks good against the snow. Interesting note too.
TFS and regards, Ulla

Hi Jacob

What a splendi capture here with this wonderful white throated sparrow!
I really like it's colors on the bird and the pattern formed by the colors of its feathers.
Also the POV is excellent here and the sharpness is great!
I also like he DOF very much - keeping the sparrow well in focus vut blurring part of the BG nicely.
Hope you don't mind me addin a workshop, too...i know Gert added one, but i think the contrast is a bit too strong there..

Anyway, a superb catch!
Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hello Jacob,
This is a beautiful capture of a little guy that I have never seen here. Your notes are very interesting. I would be very curious to see this hybrid you talk about :) I like the pose of this little fellow with those nice details, composition and POV. Are the birds in America are easier to approach than European one? I can't tell because I never shot birds in Europe but I guess it depends in which region you are. I know that in the big cities like Montreal for example, birds are much easily approachable but if you go to the country or in small town like mine, it is very different. Well done!
Claudine

hi jacob!
this is a beautiful sparrow!
fine composition and good
sharpness!
well done!

Nice shot - just found one of these in my back yard, and couldn't identify it till one of our co-contributers, shyanni, came up with the correct ID. The snow shows off the characteristics very well.

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF