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PC's fifth attempt


Peter Connan

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17) Cattle Egret

 

Bosluisvoel Bubulcus ibis

 

CattleEgret1ODP.thumb.jpg.f7dc59b5e2469b1cab91971b5f97f00b.jpg

 

CattleEgretODP.jpg.2e2246b465e9145e6ccefbf01b9a68af.jpg

 

Unlike all the other Egrets in our region, these are often found a considerable distance from water. They follow most of the larger grazers for the insects the bigger animals may flush, and are sometimes even seen hitching a lift.

 

Once again, exposure compensation was applied to avoid burning out the highlights, in this case, -1.3 stops.

 

1 January, Pilanesberg

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18) African Snipe

 

Afrikaanse Snip Gallinago nigripennis

 

SnipeODP.jpg.935ca1e1dedf7b5696d70ecc8b48f0ff.jpg

 

Sometimes when photographing things that I don;t expect to take flight suddenly, I will drop the shutter speed in order to reduce the ISO.

 

I did that here, dropping to 1/1000th

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And of course it bit me the very next moment, when this guy came past:

 

19) Pin-tailed Whydah

 

Koningrooibekkie Vidua macroura

 

This is mating display flight, the male will "flap around" near a sitting female, and udually also follow if she moves away.

 

WhydahODP.jpg.82dee22efeae8d60ff54a82827450bfb.jpg

 

 

WhydahODP-2.jpg.f72f223efd19fc79955b70a032770ee9.jpg

 

She happened to move to the tree we were nearly under.

 

WhydahODP-3.thumb.jpg.ae1d5b80df4dbeb36e7b24c5cff30e3f.jpg

 

WhydahODP-4.thumb.jpg.c6d3eb892e5dbfd9f95234e6d4b62c2e.jpg

 

Pilanesberg, 1 January

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1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

19) Pin-tailed Whydah

 

 

Very interesting behaviour captured.

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Thank you very much @Geoff.

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4 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

I will drop the shutter speed in order to reduce the ISO.

 

And then you have forgotten to raise it back for the Whydah (first two photos) ... it happens way too many times to us :mellow:.

 

The other two are perfect, even the slight blur on the wings of #3 adds to the effect of a flying bird!

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Thanks @xelas and @TonyQ.

 

Actually all those were taken at 1/1000 as i simply didn't have time to adjust back to 1/2000, and none of them are really sharp.

The first two were also very far away, thus adding atmospheric haze to the un-sharpness caused by a lower shutter speed.

The other two very very close, such that there is almost no vertical cropping involved.

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Those Whydah shots are plenty good enough for me. As is the Snipe of course.

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Thank you very much @elefromoz and @Galana

 

19) Egyptian goose

 

Kolgans Alopochen aegyptiacus

 

Their Afrikaans name translates to "spotted Goose", a reference to the spot on the chest visible in the second photo.

These birds are extremely aware of their surroundings and have a very loud alarm call. Often they let you know that you are approaching a dam or pool of water...

 

Kolgans1ODP.jpg.eb85ac6743f17cf5acf2871404cd818a.jpg

 

Kolgans2ODP.thumb.jpg.9ed04f700302912db510597bd198172f.jpg

 

1 & 2 January, Pilanesberg

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20) Sacred Ibis

 

Skoorsteenveer Threskiornis aethiopicus

 

SacredIbisODP.jpg.8c8d701df0e28bd34570882f6dbe4f56.jpg

 

The ibises feed in mud or soft ground, inserting their long bills deep into the ground. Their bills have receptors that can feel the movement of insects or other small animals.

 

Black and white together adds another dimension to the exposure challenge. My experience is that the best remedy is to avoid harsh light.

 

2 January, Pilanesberg

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21) Glossy Ibis

 

Glansibis Plegadis falcinellus

 

GlossyIbisODP.jpg.28deb5c289e0540d63ed584d095cbba8.jpg

1 January, Pilanesberg

 

Gloss2ODP.jpg.045ebfe06c7a46b63b59e218c4c8d160.jpg

 

GlossODP.jpg.2b4bd3edf699bcb213059146372500f2.jpg

 

28 January, Marievale

 

Birds have both pigmented color and structural colors. Structural colors are caused by specially-designed feathers that cause light to reflect diffewrently depending on wave length and direction, and typically these seem to "change color" depending in the quality and direction of light.

 

A nice article: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/how-birds-make-colorful-feathers/

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Nice Glossy portrait.

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22) Yellow-billed Stork

 

Nimmersat Mycteria ibis

 

StorkODP.jpg.b4104e67a6ebb007b2b62f0cf94aefe3.jpg

2 January, Pilanesberg

 

ybs2ODP.thumb.jpg.09b56609084ccf953fdd2ec56716a6e2.jpg

 

ybsODP.thumb.jpg.99f3c97cd09113806638dceab94439f9.jpg

 

28 January, Marievale

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Mmm, Marienvale, so more great photos coming our way :)

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23) Reed Cormorant

 

Rietduiker Phalacrocorax africanus

 

ReedyODP.thumb.jpg.6348952b2afd2db081a34215bf0aaa43.jpg

 

ReedCormODP.jpg.ed939a3c5c9b1289649846d5d5cc5b6a.jpg

 

Cormorants tend to swim and dive for their food, rather than diving from out of the sky. They also spend a lot of time perching with wings spread to dry out.

 

Pilanesberg, 1 January and Marievale, 28 January

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24) Wood Sandpiper

 

Bosruiter Tringa glareola

 

WoodyODP.jpg.dddb100a04b350459accebcf6973943d.jpg

 

1 January, Pilanesberg

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25) Three-banded Plover

 

Driebandstrandkiewiet Charadrius tricollaris

 

ThreeBandODP.jpg.23349bf5ac3851f96045123fe18a72fb.jpg

 

1 January, Pilanesberg

 

ThreebandODP.thumb.jpg.013537b2a6cc2a1641475d6daaac7569.jpg

 

28 January, Marievale

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26) Blacksmith Lapwing

 

Bontkiewiet Vanellus armatus

 

BlackyODP.thumb.jpg.f3509d2e98dcaf985ba8f97848ce76e6.jpg

1 January, Pilanesberg

 

These lapwings have spurs on their wings which are used in territorial battles. These are visible just where the wings turn downward in this photo:

Blacksmith1ODP.jpg.6bf5d197c54f79758f950f792e620ed3.jpg

28 January, Marievale

 

 

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2 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

These lapwings have spurs on their wings which are used in territorial battles.

 

I've been asking myself what would be the use of those "spikes". Love the close-up of Three-banded Plover; great work, Peter!

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Thank you very much @xelas

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27) Black-winged Stilt

 

Rooipootelsie Himantopus himantopus

 

BlackwingODP.thumb.jpg.81f021dff74fb0601c12d40d6cf11fbe.jpg

1 January, Pilanesberg

 

StiltODP.thumb.jpg.1e303c39cc21c45f575617927dcc3db9.jpg

28 January, Marievale

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