Golden Whistler

[Craig Miller]

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)

This is my first post here so please be gentle :)

Finally after a lot of time hunting I stumbled accross this very friendly whistler this morning while looking for Flame Robins at Jenolan State Forest.

Cropped to vertical (height is full frame) level adjustment and noise ninja on the background.

EXIF:
Model: Canon EOS 40D
Shutter Speed: 1/250 second
F Number: F/5.6
Focal Length: 600 mm
ISO Speed: 1000

Cheers.

[David Billingsley]

Hello Craig,

Welcome to BPN - and a nice first post.

A beautiful bird - sharp - nice BG - good eye contact.

Congrats - keep them coming.

Have a blessed day - dave b.

[Glenn Bartley]

What a beauty! I really enjoy seeing some of the birdlife from your neck of the woods.......so keep em coming!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Welcome to BPN, Craig! Very nice first post, I don't think I have seen this species before, thanks for sharing. I like the head angle, details and clean background and might raise the color temperature a few degrees since the whites look a tad blueish. Keep them coming!

[Craig Miller]

Thank you all for the kind words. Axel, I will give it a try. It was a horrible overcast day. :(

[Glenda Simmons]

Beautiful bird! Nice pose.

[Doug Brown]

Welcome to BPN Craig! A very nice first post. Agree with Axel about the whites. But I like the sharpness and the eye contact. The perch is a little big for the bird, but I'd be pleased to have this image in my file library. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos.

[Craig Miller]

Welcome to BPN, Craig! Very nice first post, I don't think I have seen this species before, thanks for sharing. I like the head angle, details and clean background and might raise the color temperature a few degrees since the whites look a tad blueish. Keep them coming!

Thanks for the input Axel, I adjusted my white-balance and I agree it's a big improvment.

**Edited image to reflect changes.

[John Ippolito]

Superb image Craig. The whites look perfect to me now. Detail, HA, pose and BG all very nice. Lovely bird.

[Rene' Villela]

Welcome to BPN Craig!

Really nice 1st post! Sharp, nice BG, eye contact. I like it all! Keep them coming! Cheers!

[John Chardine]

Agree with all the accolades above. Now you have a tough act to follow with future posts Craig! Outstanding portrait (for all the reasons given above) of an outstanding bird. My only comment is that the crop seems a bit tight on the right in the direction the bird is looking.

For a matter of interest what family are "whistlers" in?

[Tony Whitehead]

Thanks for the input Axel, I adjusted my white-balance and I agree it's a big improvment.

**Edited image to reflect changes.
Big welcome, Craig. Great to have more Antipodean input! Love the psoe, head angle and BG. Slightly higher vantage point would be nicer but seldom practical to achieve with these small and mobile birds.
Not sure if I am following you correctly but I assume you have replaced your original post. If so it is customary to repost in a reply to the thread so that the new and original remain for comparison so that the early comments make sense to subsequent viewers. Looking forward to more of your images.

[Tony Whitehead]

For a matter of interest what family are "whistlers" in?
Family Pachycephalidae.

[Craig Miller]

Big welcome, Craig. Great to have more Antipodean input! Love the psoe, head angle and BG. Slightly higher vantage point would be nicer but seldom practical to achieve with these small and mobile birds.
Not sure if I am following you correctly but I assume you have replaced your original post. If so it is customary to repost in a reply to the thread so that the new and original remain for comparison so that the early comments make sense to subsequent viewers. Looking forward to more of your images.

Hi Tony, yes my bad I replaced the first image rather then posting the rework. Note taken and I'll be sure not to do it in the future, I can see how it may cause some confusion. :)

Merry xmas
Craig.

[Gerard Satherley]

Excellent first post. Very nice image Craig. Great pose and details.