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This Penguin ROCKS!!


This Penguin ROCKS!!
Photo Information
Copyright: Alan Turvey (liquidsunshine) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1878 W: 112 N: 1560] (5437)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-10-27
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX APO RF, Hoya skylight (1B)
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Penguins (Spheniscidae), 50-60 points chapter 4 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-10-27 10:53
Viewed: 4847
Points: 52
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I spent this morning at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. The weather today was perfect for a day out. My first post from this trip is of a Rockhopper Penguin.

Size Length: 52 cm
Weight 3 kg

Description
The rockhopper penguin is one of the smallest of the penguin species. The characteristically robust body is white on the underside and slate-grey above, with a yellow line above the eye that extends into yellowish plumes. Behind the head there is also a crest of black feathers, the short bill is reddish brown in colour and the eyes are red. Juveniles can be identified by the lack of adult yellow markings.

Biology
Penguins are gregarious, and rockhopper penguins breed in large colonies that may be composed of over a hundred thousand nests. They are monogamous, and pairs usually return to the same nest on consecutive years. Eggs are laid in November, clutch size is generally 2 eggs of unequal size, with only the chick from the larger egg usually surviving to maturity. Incubation takes around 33 days and both parents will take it in turns to sit on the eggs for extended periods of a time whilst their partner forages for food; penguins have a bare patch of skin on the lower abdomen (known as a 'brood pouch') that allows greater heat transfer to the eggs. Once the chicks have hatched the male will remain to brood them for the first 25 days, whilst the female regularly brings food back to the nest. After this time, the chicks are able to leave the nest and are left in small groups known as 'crèches' whilst their parents forage.

Penguins have a waterproof coat that is maintained by constant grooming; this helps to flatten the feathers and to spread a waxy substance that is secreted just below the tail. Grooming is also an important social bond between pairs. Once a year however, the coat must be replaced; this annual moult takes around 25 days and occurs roughly a month after the completion of breeding. Prior to this imposed fasting period, adults spend time at sea building up fat reserves. After moulting, the winter months are spent at sea before returning to shore to breed the following spring. The diet of the rockhopper penguin is composed of a variety of oceanic species such as crustaceans, squid, octopus and fish. Groups may often feed together and dives may be to depths of up to 100 metres.

Notes from Arkive.com

Thanks for looking, enjoy the rest of the week.
hummingbird24, wideload, sAner, wallhalla15, Signal-Womb, gerhardt, red45, marhowie, cecilia, TAZ, dew77, scottevers7, annagrace, Janice, keanhoon, livios, thistle has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To annagrace: waxy substance!!liquidsunshine 1 10-28 18:37
To Fisher: Oooooh Mike!hummingbird24 2 10-27 20:44
To hummingbird24: Hi Anna-LuFisher 1 10-27 16:07
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2005-10-27 10:55]

What a funny looking penguin, Alan. I love his "hairdo". Very stylish. Too bad his face is in the shade. Sharp details and good POV. Well done and TFS. : )

Great shot of this wonderful penguin Alan!

Nice details, color, POV and BG.

Well done, and thank you for the chuckle.

Wild punk hair bleached penguin !!!
Great picture, can't wait to see all the other great pics that you've took at the park.

He rocks indeed Alan, what a punk hairdo he has and its suits him well :)

Very nicely captured. Take care, Yan

A fine detailed close up Alan, well controlled exposure and an unusual looking penguin.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1455 W: 74 N: 1426] (4750)
  • [2005-10-27 14:43]

Hahaha, Andy Cole (Flagman) posted a picture of such a penguin a while ago too and it sure rocks! The hairdo is hilarious! Your shot is very good. Very well composed, good details and great POV. A b/w bird is always difficult to expose correctly, but you did a great job Alan. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Hi Alan,

Excellent shot of Anna-Lu's messy hair day. Oops, that's a penguin. LOL
Excellent shot and yes it rocks!!! Beauty and well done on the composition.
Cheers

Mike

This one had you pulling all the stops. This critter against that BG was not easy. You did very good Alan. Nice details very well done.

Cool shot Alan, Iv never seen this Penguin before. Iv said this before I love the quality of image you get from that big Sigma. Great sharpness and contrast. Very well done.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2005-10-27 17:00]

Oh yeah! Looks like member of one of rock groups from 80s ;-) Superb coiffure - something like nest hit by thunder ;-) This penguin rocks Alan. I hope you'll send more pictures with this one.

  • Great 
  • chiliu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1457 W: 0 N: 1176] (6526)
  • [2005-10-27 17:14]

Hi Alan,
I like his haircut!
Very nice portrait, great sharpness and colour,
very clean background.
TFS!

Very cool shot Alan. You've done a fantastic job with a difficult subject. I kinda like the look in his eye.. Looks pissed-off a bit?
Very well done my friend. Thank You.

Wow!!!this is great...what a lovely creature...
Brilliant!!!

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2005-10-28 1:42]

Alan, your Penguin realy rocks ;-) This portrait is funny. Congratulations Alan and thanks for sharing a such good shot.

For sure he rocks !

Nice shot, well composed, nice DOF.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2005-10-28 6:16]

Hello Alan!
Very nice capture of this intersting penguin.I liked hairdo,details,POV,framing and composition a lot.
TFS....:-)

Hi Alan,
An excellent shot on this Rock Hopper. Great job getting him with a perfect exposure against that backround. The colors and detail look perfect to me. Great job!
Scott

Hi Alan

Short on time again today, but enough time to look at this excellent shot. This guy sure has the grunge look. Good depth of colour. Sharpness, clarity and detail are all spot on. Nicely composed work. Thanks.

Excellent portrait shot Alan. This kind of pengiun looks funny. I like it.
Great picture with sharp details and excellent POV. That´s a great composition. Thanks for posting. Have a nice weekend.
Heinz

I don't even want to think about a waxy substance secreted from beneath the tail, LOL! Look at my most recent email to see what I'm talking about!!

Great capture, cool punk hairdo. Is he from King's Road, LOL!

Your friend from the land of defeated Supreme Court nominees,

Alli

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2005-10-29 0:13]

Apparently straight hair is OUT and curly hair is back in now!! Your penquin doesn't realise this.
Beautiful portrait Alan, what a cutie. Good shot, nice and sharp. Well done.

Alan, interesting potrait you have here. POV is good, however i suppose if it is heading the other way the reflection from it abdomen will cause you some difficulties.

We should call it the "punkhopper penguin", it remembers me Jonny Rotten in his good times :D
You managed very nicely the difficult back light, and BG is great. Thanks Alan.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2150 W: 319 N: 4263] (16942)
  • [2005-10-29 12:52]

Alan, no dout at all: it does rock. And what a nice hairdo.

Another excellent capture by you.

I like composition and bg a lot. Great exposure and lighting.

Hi Alan.
It's a beautiful and vey funny shot.
The hairdo is marvellous. Well composed and great POV.
Excellent work.

Superb shot Alan!
Good to hear you had perfect weather at last ;)
Your model looks quite weird with this hairdo and quite surly face, but he is no doubt very interesting. Photo would've been perfect if the feather didn't cover the eye, and for now it's just almost perfect ;)
I like it very much.
VERY WELL DONE & TFS

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2006-04-06 22:39]

Hi Alan,
this one has a crazy hairdo ;-). Cute potrait, nice POV and good colors.
TFS..Sky

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