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Pipit


Pipit
Photo Information
Copyright: Janice Dunn (Janice) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-12-24
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 30d, Canon 70-300mm DO IS USM
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): New Zealand Native Fauna and Flora (2) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-02 4:06
Viewed: 4145
Points: 46
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
New Zealand Pipit
Anthus novaeseelandiae novaeseelandiae
Maori Name: Pihoihoi - Pee-hoy-hoy

I was at Piha on the west coast of Auckland and heard this high-pitched strange bird sound. It took me a while to find where the noise was coming from, and then this beautiful little fellow jumped on these Gazanias growing on the sand dunes there. We found a lot of these Gazanias growing all along the beach and realise that they’ve been planted for soil erosion. I wonder how they will work!!

The Pipit species is widely distributed with four subspecies found in New Zealand. It inhabits rough grasslands, sand dunes and rocky terrain throughout New Zealand, Stewart Island and off shore islands. The other three subspecies occur on the Chatham Islands, Antipodes Island and the Auckland and Campbell Islands.

This slender bird runs and walks jerkily on long legs flicking its long tail up and down. It looks very similar to the Skykark, but unlike the Skylark it does not soar high. Because of its habits it is often confused with the skylark, but the two are not closely related. The pipit often runs a short distance then stops, flicking it's tail. During flight it makes fast short swoops unlike the skylark.

The head and upperparts are brown, streaked darker with a prominent white eyebrow. The underparts are whitish, streaked brown on the breast and the outer tail feathers are white.

The common call is a shrill “scree” or drawn out “zwee” and the territorial song of the male which is heard from August to February is a repeated high pitched and slurred “pipit” and a musical trill .

The diet is mainly invertebrates, especially beetles (including grass grubs), wasps, flies, spiders, crickets, moths and bugs, insect larvae and pupae and sandhoppers. They also take seeds of grasses, clover and weeds.

Some pairs remain on territory all year and breed year after year. The female builds the bulky grass nest with a deep cup which is usually well hidden at the base of a clump of grass, tussock, bracken fern, manuka bush, or on the side of a bank. Between August and February 2-3 clutches of 2-5 cream eggs, heavily blotched brown with a darker zone ath the broader end are laid. The female incubates for 14-15 days and both parents feed the nestlings which fledge at 14-16 days old.

It is thought that the New Zealand Pipit has declined locally and disappeared from some arable districts in part due to the introduction of pesticides and mammalian predators and Magpies.
red45, XOTAELE, Argus, Alex99, marmottelolo, coasties, TAZ, marhowie, saeedabbasi, jeanpaul, peter_stoeckl, dew77 has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To ellis49: Thank youJanice 1 01-03 21:44
To Argus: ThxJanice 1 01-02 14:13
To red45: ThxJanice 3 01-02 05:29
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2007-01-02 4:16]
  • [+]

Hi Janice!

This time Latin name is far more complicated than Maori one :-) Pihoihoi sounds as always great! I like this small, cute bird from first sight. It looks slightly like sparrow with long tail. Nice composition with leaves and flowers. Good work my friend :-)

Es una imagen preciosa, bellos colores y agradable presentación. Una nota muy interesante Janice.
Muchos saludos, JL.

Hello Janice,
Cute little bird with fine details to appreciate. Great pov and color saturation.
JC

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-01-02 9:35]
  • [+]

Hello Janice,
This is great! Lovely sharp capture of the NZ Pipit. I've taken a shot of the Oz subspecies but nothing like as good as this sharp and well composed shot. I presume the Gazanias are some kind of low-growing shub.
TFS and best wishes,
Ivan

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2007-01-02 9:48]

Hi Janice.
What clear paints and perfect captured scene. I like the details and sharpness of the bird and plant, pleasant soft lighting, excellent composition and exact DOF. Your note is very good too. My best wishes and TFS.
Alexei.

Nice shot of this little guy.
TFS & HNY
Ralf

Hi Janice,
Good work.
Very difficult to get the little birds sharp and in a good pose etc..
TFS
Annick

bonjour janice
un peu de bruit sur le BG mais de bons details sur l'oiseau,cela fait un beau cliché avec en plus une bonne note.
laurent

Hi Janice

Good shot of the Pipit. Nicely composed shot. Very good saturation of colour. Good close POV. :-) Happy New Year MF!

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2007-01-02 12:26]

Hello Janice,
I am jalous of your Canon 30D :-)) Your Pipit is realy cute !
The +++ : subject, sharpness, DOF, pleasant OOF background, green environment, exposure, colors, composition...
The - : nothing...
Congratulations my dear friend and TFS.

Hi Janice.
Great shot of this pipet with nice detail, exposure, and POV. The flowers and greenery add nicely to the frame as well.
Well done & have a great week.

Hi Janice ,
great details and nice composition.
well exposed.
thanks
Saeed

Hi Janice.
this is a beautiful picture with lovely colours.
The POV and composition is good as well the details.
For me it's quite strange too see a summer picture taken in the Christmas Eve. ;-)
Very well done, my friend.

The weather up here is still the same: a green winter and it's very warm for the season. And the short daylight is gray and dark even when the sun is shining. I need some snow. ;-)

Great shot good detail and nice angle POV good background TFS rgds Necip. P.T.

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2007-01-03 15:16]

Hello Janice,
Wonderful composition showing a really nice view of the Pipit and I like the closed-up flowers too. Sharp details and nice colours. I like the composition very much and the way you've cropped it.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hello Janice
c'est une espece que je ne connais pas,cela ressemble a un moineau d'ici!
cette photo est tres reussie:couleurs,netteté,BG et pov.
felicitations et au revoir...JP.

Hello Janice,
This is a nice capture of this cute fellow! I like this composition and nice environment. Colors are beautiful and you caught good details. I think that Pipit is a funny name as in French, the young one call birds "pit-pit" so it reminds me of it ;) Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1393 W: 119 N: 5267] (23955)
  • [2007-01-06 17:19]

Cute little bird Janice, well composed and good technique. I really like way it stands on the leaves. Thanks,

Mario

Hello Janice,
beautiful capture, buzzing with life all over.
Nice pose of the bird. I like those lively vibrations all over the background. Beautiful soft colours, nicely well balanced composition.
Thank you! Best regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2007-01-13 3:28]

Hello Janice,
Lovely capture.I liked proud expression on face a lot.POV,details and 3D effect are also excellent.
TFS...:-)

A very beautiful shot Janice and very natural with the passerine sitting in all those greens all on a very nice OOF background. Well done. :)

hell JANICE
j' aime beaucoup ce petit oiseau dans ce feuillage et le bg est excellent.
tres bon travail félicitations et merci
edith

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2007-01-21 11:31]

Lovely capture, great POV and lovely DOF. Great colours and details as well

TFS

Karan

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