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The End of Summer


The End of Summer
Photo Information
Copyright: Ivan Kruys (Argus) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-08-27
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 50D, Canon EF 300 f4L + Canon 1.4 converter
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/1250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): CeltickRanger's favorite bird in-flight photos 2 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2009-08-27 8:29
Viewed: 3388
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
In Sweden at this time of the year flocks of migrating birds can be seen flying south over the Baltic. They can be gulls, terns, various species of duck or flocks of waders.
Here we saw a flock of Oystercatchers at a distance of about 150 meters (500 ft).

The afternoon sunlight catching the white of the wings made them quite noticeable over the sea, the rapid wing movements and straight line of flight distinguishing them from a flock of gulls.
As I didn’t have my binoculars my guess that they were Oystercatchers was confirmed when I took a couple of shots with my DSLR.
I can count 21 in this flock.
In August, September and into October bird watchers take their scopes to watch for these migrating birds, sometimes in large flocks and occasionally odd rarities fly by.

Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).
Swedish name: Strandskata, meaning ‘shore magpie’

Oystercatchers belong to a wader family, Haematopodidae, which means red-legged, though only this species has bright red legs, while the other species have pink or greyish legs,
The number of species is uncertain throughout the world, depending on whether they are classified as species or sub-species but it seems to be between 10 and 12. They are either pied, like these, or totally black and they all have long straight red bills.

They are noisy; making loud ‘pip-peep’ calls when they feel threatened or often in flight. Like all waders they are ground-nesting, often far from water in fields and meadows, though the eggs are coloured to resemble beach sand, where they also nest.

They feed on worms and insects and some develop the skills of opening hard shells like oysters.

They arrive in Sweden in March and leave in August/September to overwinter along the coasts of W. Europe, the Mediterranean and N. Africa.

After moderate cropping and size reduction the image was sharpened.
rousettus, Ishi, nglen, goatman04, parthasarathi, maurydv, CeltickRanger, parasbhalla, Juyona, Noisette, jaycee, sranjan, anemone has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hej Ivan
each of seasons very beautiful. but summer a bit different from others. breeding season, new lifes appears and now migration days start for many species.
you greatly present such a moment with a great capture of beautiful Oystercatchers. focus, composition, colors and notes very nice. thanks for sharing this beauty.
best wishes my friend
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Ishi Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 298 W: 21 N: 1943] (13387)
  • [2009-08-27 8:34]

Neat!

For us simmer stays for another couple of month. It's hot; the terrain is dust;, we all look forward to the first rains. However, the first fall flowers are already starting here and there. Stay tuned...

Best regards,

Ishi

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-08-27 8:34]

Hi Ivan. Your picture starts the beginning of autumn for you. But i am sureyou will have some more warm days to come. The Oystercatchers have a long flight before them. I like the colours in the sea and sky. well done TFS.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2009-08-27 8:49]

Hi Ivan,
excellent depicted beauties in flight agaisnt a spectacular blue sea. i like the outstanding coloured beaks.
A nice and splendid sharpness of these distance subjects.

regards,
Foozi

Hello Ivan,

A great capture of this flock of migrating birds over the sea with beautiful colors, sharpness & details. Well done & TFS.

Regards

Umar

Nice capture of the migrating birds and also a good story.

  • Great 
  • joska Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 806 W: 0 N: 4092] (22535)
  • [2009-08-27 10:48]

I like this birds, it is one excellent photo of these !

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-08-27 11:27]

Hello Ivan,
Here it's still summer, but today I saw Lapwings, Swallows and Starlings who are coming together, making themselfs ready for the big trip to the south.
Great photo in splendid contrasting colours and a very good composition.
Regards,
Peter

great migration pic, TFS Ori

Hello Ivan,
a fantastic flight of Eurasian Oystercatchers, you have captured a very beautiful atmosphere with very good sharpness and colours well saturated, excellent POV and composition.
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

hello Ivan

i love this kind of photo, an excellent one from you with
excelent timing to shoot in group these migrating birds in-flight,
fine POV, fine focus on the birds with excellent sharpness, TFS

Asbed

Hi Ivan,

Beautiful capture of the migratory birds 'in flight'! The sharpness is crisp and the POV is simply amazing.
An exceptionally well chosen DOF, is the best part of the picture. The birds can be seen in even 3D look, great! The blue water gives great contrast to these B&W colored birds, which during their 'in flight' capture, brings mood into the shot. An informative and nice note. Thanks.
Very well seen!

best regards,
Paras Bhalla

Ciao Ivan, great composition with a lot of flying birds, wonderful natural ambientation, splendid constrast against blue sea, beautiful natural colors, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2009-08-28 4:02]

Hi Ivan,a different work but a very nice idea! What a impresive sharpness,the birds are perfects...Asebd will be happy to see a pic like that..ehehe....thanks for share this beauty,have a nice day,LUCIANO

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 2232 W: 10 N: 2971] (16891)
  • [2009-08-28 14:08]

Hola Ivan,
sobresaliente captura amigo,
en pocas semanas muchas especies llegaran a las islas canarias :))
hermosos detalles,
saludos

Hello Ivan
great capture of this flock of Oystercatcher flying over the sea
the details on the birds are well seen and i like her black and whte colors of her plumage and her red bill
the blue water makes a wonderful BG
Have a great WE

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-08-28 17:00]

Hi Ivan,

Oh, to be able to think of this as the end of summer! We have had near record highs all week. Just two months to go!! This flock of migrating Oystercatchers is just beautiful. The birds are wonderful with fine details even from a distance. Their colors are lovely against the blues of the sky and water.

Jane

Hello Ivan,
Great group photographic coverage of flocking behaviour of Eurasian Oystercatcher & nice notes. Thanks for sharing.
Regards-Subhash

Hi Ivan,
A wonderful inflight moment captured. I like the idea of not showing one bird and showing more then only the birds. I like it how the white of the body and the orange of the beaks stand out so well from the dark sea.
It is odd to realize that the Oystercatcher is slowly becomming a normal sight in towns far away from the sea.
TFS,
Niek

Hi Ivan, beautiful landscape shot with bird flocks.
TFS and regards..
Özgür

I always love the bright orange bills of the oystercatchers here. Ours are all black with the wonderful orange bill. You did a nice job of catching these birds in flight. I am not good at that!

TFS
Evelynn : )

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