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Hoopoe


Hoopoe
Photo Information
Copyright: Tom Conzemius (pirate) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 799 W: 152 N: 1186] (7474)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-06-05
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L USM
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/1600 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2007-06-09 2:17
Viewed: 4435
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
When photographing Bee-eaters (see my 2 last postings) suddenly this hoopoe flew in the dead tree just in front of my car and stayed there for a few seconds.
Wikipedia:
The Hoopoe Upupa epops is in the same order of often colourful near passerine birds as the kingfishers, bee-eaters, and rollers.
Hoopoes are widespread in Southern Europe, Asia and North Africa, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. They migrate from all but the southernmost part of their range to the tropics in winter.
Their habitat is open cultivated ground with short grass or bare patches. They spend much time on the ground hunting insects and worms. That particular diet may have been among the reasons the Hoopoe is included on the Old Testament's list of unclean birds (see Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18).
The Hoopoe is 25-29cm long, with a 44-48cm wingspan. This black, white and pink bird is quite unmistakable, especially in its erratic flight, which is like that of a giant butterfly. The crest is erectile, but is mostly kept closed. It walks on the ground like a starling.
The song is a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop", which gives rise to its English and scientific names.
The nest is in a hole in a tree or wall. Like those of its relatives the kingfishers, the nest tends to contain copious amounts of faeces and smell very foul as a protection against predators. Nesting hoopoes are capable of squirting fecal matter at intruders.
Mariol, falke, Juyona, jmirah, Kathleen, jhm, garyfudge, rousettus, MMM, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Tom,
Nice shot, beautiful bird. Very good light and colors, Interesting pse.
TFS, Mario.

Great view Tom!
Congratulations.
Emmanuel

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 497 W: 111 N: 1535] (9539)
  • [2007-06-09 3:25]

Hello Tom,
beautiful shot, the bird frown in camera.
Congratulation
Pawel

  • Great 
  • falke Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 153 W: 18 N: 479] (1863)
  • [2007-06-09 4:05]

Tom, this is really great. They are so hard to get a decent photo of. We chased them for hours during our trip in France this April, but always got bushes or branches in the way..... ;o( We saw them eating lots of antlions.

However you had both Beeaters and Hoopoe from the same spot!

If you took this in Raw maybe you could lower the exposure just a tiny little bit to get even fuller colours.

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 404 W: 69 N: 951] (4247)
  • [2007-06-09 4:08]

Hi Tom,
hoopoos are great. And you have taken a pretty nice picture of one. It stands well against the blue sky. I might have taken out the branch behind the hoopoo. I leads the attention a bit away, but overall it's a picture which I would like to take someday...:-)
Jacob

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor [C: 2232 W: 10 N: 2971] (16891)
  • [2007-06-09 4:24]

Hola Tom,
preciosa captura,
nitidez y excelente pov,
buenos detalles,
saludos

Nice shot of a very strange looking bird...Nice color and detail...TFS...
jim

Hi Tom.
Great shot, looking up high is not always the best but here it has worked very nice for the way he has tilted his head showing off his head feathers to match the back feather markings, highlight in the eye, colour, exposure, all spot on.
The image is slightly soft up around the head and eye. Either is has moved slightly or you needed a bit bigger F/stop for sharp front to back, the description sounds as if he is a bigger bird.
Wonderful

Kathleen
New Zealand

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2007-06-09 8:31]

Hello Tom,
Beautiful shot of this Hoopoe. Good colours, light and composition. I should have cropped the branch left above.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1175 W: 8 N: 4240] (15809)
  • [2007-06-09 9:36]

Hola Tom. Nunca habia visto un "Pajaro Carpintero" igual al que hoy nos presentas aqui. Bella imagen con colores finos y muy naturales. Luis52.

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 893 W: 0 N: 507] (1853)
  • [2007-06-09 12:30]

Hello Tom,

Congratulations your 50th picture on TN.
What a splendid moment and what a lovely pose, a lot patience and knowledge is the basis for this result. Well done.

Regards,
John.

Tom , this is a lovely shot.

The bird is set well against that sky.
Nice details.

Gary

Hi Tom,
My last photograph of yesterday in TN belongs to same beautiful bird, U. epops.
But first I'd like to say Congratulations! for your 50th.
Focus, lighting and colors very nice. Nicely composed. Useful information. Thanks for showing
Best wishes
Ahmet

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 488 W: 0 N: 566] (4423)
  • [2007-06-09 17:05]

Uma imagem muito boa de qualidade ótima com cores super agradavéis meus parabéns.
Nilson

Oooooo , Tom , very close , very sharp and good POV , details super , TFS and good luck.

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1114 W: 0 N: 2546] (11425)
  • [2007-06-09 19:55]

Hello Tom
Nice capture.Never saw that bird before.Image is sharp with nice details .Good POV
TFS Michel

wow!what a magnificent bird!there should be a lot here in luxembourg this year but didn't see any till today.
perfect shot is your 50th trek picture!congratulations!and congratulations for your birthday!!!:-)

caroline

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2249 W: 65 N: 4205] (13972)
  • [2007-06-11 6:22]

Hi Tom,
Nice capture of this hoope with a very good light. I liked the composition, the pose, and the catchlight in the eye. TFS
Selen

  • Great 
  • pac Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 67 W: 13 N: 157] (1783)
  • [2007-06-27 13:16]

Super shot, all said! (Except pethaps super compo!)

/Dan

Hello Tom

A super shot of a species that gave me the run around in Portugal recently -

Best Regards

Geoff

  • Great 
  • mlgb Silver Note Writer [C: 4 W: 0 N: 31] (125)
  • [2009-10-02 11:45]

Hoopoe..my favorite bird! I like pictures with a bit of empty space around the object. I don't think I ever saw one in a tree..only on the ground. Excellent note.

Hello Tom

Excellent close-up photo of the Hoopoe, fine POV
and framing, beautiful light, excellent focus,
sharpness, and details, TFS

Asbed

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