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Just a look


Just a look
Photo Information
Copyright: jaap polak (carper) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1973 W: 119 N: 2582] (8439)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-02-06
Categories: Birds
Camera: Fujifilm Finepix S7000
Exposure: f/3.1, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Great Portraits [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-03-23 7:05
Viewed: 4449
Points: 28
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata)
Range
Mexico, Central America, and the Northern two-thirds of South America. Found in humid tropical rainforest, second growth woodland, savanna, and mangrove habitats. They prefer to live near water.
Size
Length: 43 - 46 cm (17 - 18 in.)
Wingspan: 2.5 - 3 ft.
Weight: Male 450 - 680 g ; Female 680 - 980 g
Diet
Small mammals, insects, caterpillars, frogs, and crabs. Occasionally skunks, opossums, bats, and birds up to the size of Jays.
Description
They have a big, round head and no ear tufts. The mature adult is a striking blackish brown color above and yellow cream below. They have a yellow cream belly, a white patch on the front of the neck, and a dark brown belt across the breast. There are white crescents on a black face and bright yellow eyes. The white "spectacles" around their eyes give them their name. The immature bird has the adult markings in reverse. It has white plumage with a black mask and brown wings, and it may take several years from hatching to attain full adult plumage.
Natural History
Because of their elusive behavior, little is known. We do know that they live in tropical rainforests as well as drier woods with scattered trees. They are usually nocturnal, but can be active on dull days. Their call has been compared to the prolonged, rapid tapping of a woodpecker with each successive note being lower and weaker, and the rythm quicker as the series progresses. They are known in Brazil as 'knocking owls". The female also has a hawk-like scream, which has been compared to a steam whistle. When hunting, they use a branch to perch on and scan the surrounding area. When prey is located, they drop with a swift pounce. Insects are taken from foliage. In Costa Rica, eggs are laid in the dry season, or at the start of the wet season. Nests are made in tree hollows. They lay 1 - 2 eggs in a clutch but, usually, only 1 survives. The chicks leave the nest for surrounding branches well before they can fly, but depend on their parents for up to one year. The young may take up to five years to attain their full adult plumage.

I have this from here

This was another owl in the Antwerpen Zoo. It was not realy easy, but I made a shot. And I hope you like it.
cafecrem, dew77, marhowie, JeanMichel, red45, PDP, sAner, jhm, liquidsunshine, Luc, Callie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To sAner: did you crop a lot?carper 2 03-28 10:05
To livios: Did you mean it?carper 1 03-24 00:37
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Critiques [Translate]

Hallo Jaap!
What a wonderful, fluffy portrait!
Gret photo with superb note!
Good job!

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4432 W: 248 N: 4028] (13270)
  • [2005-03-23 7:36]

Cross-eyed owl!
Interesting portrait Jaap! I liked the composition,notes and I appreciate your work.TFS

Jaap, Not one of your best, but a great POV and a mean look captured in those eyes! Excellent notes, Well done!!

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2005-03-23 9:34]

Weird looking eyes :-) I like its face and pose. And of course eyes. Looks like picture suffers from heavy compression level Jaap.

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-03-23 13:04]

Well done on the composition, I'm not sure if you increased the image for a better view of the owl, the fuji cams are not tolerant of this as the image shows those specs. Another downside to the fuji product. I'm ready to pitch mine.
Excelent work, Jaap.

Mike

  • Great 
  • Esox Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 239 W: 20 N: 344] (972)
  • [2005-03-23 13:53]

Nice to be back to see your great shots!
A funny one with this eye-looking-the-other owl!
Very nice portrait of this stunning bird.
Great job!

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2005-03-23 15:19]

Hi Jaap, nice shot. I think the picture looks very flat. It's hard to see the details and there looks to be some noise. Apart from that the expression and pose is very good, well done.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1455 W: 74 N: 1426] (4750)
  • [2005-03-23 16:38]
  • [+]

Great eyes and excellent pose, Jaap! The picture is very noisy ... did you crop a lot?

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2150 W: 319 N: 4263] (16942)
  • [2005-03-23 23:37]
  • [+]

Jaap, what grabs my attention is the feeling I have that there's anger (or even hate) in the owl's eyes.

A different shot. It even has a different texture. Did you mean it?

Nice post.

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 893 W: 0 N: 507] (1853)
  • [2005-03-24 2:43]

Dag Jaap,
Ik moet mij eventjes aansluiten met enkele schrijvers, misschien heeft u deze detail foto eventjes te dicht gebracht waardoor de kwaliteit lichtjes verdoezeld wordt, het zal wel een moeilijke foto geweest zijn om te maken zoals u het zelf aanhaald, maar ik weet pertinent dat uw veel beter kan, misschien is dit wel even een experiment of niet soms?
Groeten en mooi Paas weekend.
John.

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 751 W: 31 N: 20] (5100)
  • [2005-03-24 4:06]

Hi Jaap!
Very good portrait, interesting note.
Well done.
Regards
Aleksander

Nice portrait Jaap,
Great composition, good details but there seems to be a bit noise in the image.
Still a great shot, well done
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
  • [2005-03-26 14:27]

Personal assessment of the photo: great.
Good visual impact.
Aptness of the photo for the site: excellent.
Personal assessment of the note: complete.
Well seen and well done, Jaap.
Thanks.

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1101 W: 95 N: 2610] (7555)
  • [2005-03-29 13:20]

Naandsę Jaap
'n Bril die moet hy dra, en almal kyk daarna. A new owl for me, TFS, and O love his "scarf" so cosyly under his nose.
Noise a bit too clear, but I think the thing here is that the right eye sows no pupil and that this adds to the mood of persieved aggression. TFS

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