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Thread: Long-tailed Widowbird

  1. #1
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Default Long-tailed Widowbird

    Name:  Longtailed-Widowbird-Display-flight.jpg
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    Taken at Lake Chrissie. Love to see their display flights in the grasslands as they follow the females around. In winter these are very drab brown sparrow like birds, the transition to breeding plumage is remarkable.

    50D/EF500f4+1.4/f6.3@1/2500/iso400/EC-0.67

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Apologies pressed the submit button in stead of preview before I had finished.

    This is a large crop and background as shot with NR.

    C&C allways welcome.

  3. #3
    Todd Frost
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    Nice bg for this beautiful bird. Amazing how much they resemble our red winged blackbirds only with a long tail. Light looks to have been strong but handled pretty well.
    TFS
    Todd

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    Lifetime Member Doug Brown's Avatar
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    Such a cool bird! Would love to see one in person someday. Sharpness looks good, but detail suffers due to the significant crop. Not sure how they look in person, but I might go a bit darker on some of the blacks. It would have been nice if the bird had been flying towards you.
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  5. #5
    Kurt Bowman
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    Thanks for sharing the information on this bird and the plumage looks very cool. I agree with Doug about toning down the blacks a bit.

  6. #6
    Brendan Dozier
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    That is very cool looking bird and image! What a tail! BG gives a nice sense of motion. Agree with Doug's suggestions, nice capture.

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    IOTY Winner 2010 Chris Kotze's Avatar
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    Excellent pose and BG colours. Ditto the Blacks otherwise a cool image.
    Chris Kotze

  8. #8
    Russell Edwards
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    Is it just me (eyes still mucked up from the "colour IQ test") or is there a bit of a halo around that bird? I also seem to be picking up some stepping in hue in the background -- perhaps just a JPEG artefact?

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    Lifetime Member Stu Bowie's Avatar
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    Hey Pieter, Im jealous.:w Ive been trying to get one of these guys at Rietvlei all holidays - no luck. Great show of the tail and near wing here, and good job on the blacks. ( you could go a little darker ) I do like the smooth BG too. Do I have to mention he's flying away a touch.:w

  10. #10
    Ken Watkins
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    Beautiful bird, always difficult to capture these in flight. Agree on boosting the blaks slightly.

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    If not for anything, I need to come to africa to see this beauty..

  12. #12
    Avian Moderator Randy Stout's Avatar
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    Pieter:

    An amazing tail, it does look like one of our red wing black birds in drag.

    Agree with tech. details commented on above, and yes Russell, I see the halo too.

    Hope to see more of this striking fellow.

    Randy

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer Pieter de Waal's Avatar
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    Thanks all for your kind comments and suggestions. Will have a go at darkening some of the blacks.

    Russel nothing wrong with your eyes, I see the halo now as well. Any ideas as to how this occurs.?

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    BPN Viewer Haim Ziv's Avatar
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    Amazing bird, very fascinating image.

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    Lifetime Member James Salywoda's Avatar
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    Now thats an awesome bird I'd love to shoot someday well done Pieter.

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