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Black Stork


Black Stork
Photo Information
Copyright: Peter van Zoest (PeterZ) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2012-05-08
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D90, AF Nikkor 70-300mm f4-5.6 G, Digital RAW
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/800 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2012-05-12 7:50
Viewed: 2827
Points: 58
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello Friends,
Back after eleven days on Lesvos, Greece.
What a wonderful, fascinating island!
The temperatures were very high this year. Not so good for bird watching. Most of the migrants were gone. But there was still enough to enjoy.

Another bad luck in photography. After the software crash in my D300 I bought a D90. During this vacation my 400mm tele collapsed. There was something inside this lens which was shoved away. Without valid reason. Camera and lens are for repair now.
So what left was the D90 with my 300mm lens.

Here is one of the few reasonable photos of this trip. This photo is made in evening light.

The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions.

This is a large bird, nearly 1 m tall with a 1.8 m wingspan, weighing around 3 kilograms. It is all black except for the white belly and axillaries, and its red bill and legs. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.

It breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadlived woodlands, but also inhabits hills and mountains with sufficient network of creeks. It builds a stick nest high in trees. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork.

The Black Stork, feeds on amphibians and insects.
It has a rasping call, but rarely indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.
The Black Stork is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Migration
The Black Stork is a strong migrant, wintering in tropical Africa and India. However, the Iberian population is resident. The Black Stork is a broad-winged soaring bird, which relies on thermals of hot air for long distance flight. Since thermals only form over land, storks, together with large raptors, must cross the Mediterranean at the narrowest points, and many Black Storks can be seen going through the Bosporus. They fly approximately 100 to 250 km a day with daily maxima up to 500 km.

Western Migration
About 10 percent of the western storks choose the passage Sicily - Cap Bon, Tunisia. The common route goes over Gibraltar. Many birds are fly around the Sahara next to the coast. Most birds are wintering in the wetlands of Nigeria or Mali.

Eastern Migration
The eastern birds take the route Bosphorus-Sinai-Nile to Africa. Birds that summer in Siberia winter in northern and northeastern India.

Time of Migration
The storks migrate from the middle of August to the end of September. They come back in the middle of March.

Source: Wikipedia
Argus, goatman04, ramthakur, Hussain58, Marco2010, marius-secan, Pitoncle, chrissty, buscape, jusninasirun, Alex99, anel, josediogo1958, uleko, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To euroblinkie: PechPeterZ 1 05-13 12:33
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2012-05-12 8:00]

Hello Peter,
Welcome back!
A superb shot of the Black Stork. I know roughly where you took this.
Excellent POV and good use of the evening lighting to get fine colours and sharpness.
I hope your equipment is soon back to normal!
Thanks and enjoy your rest after Lesbos.
Ivan

Hello Peter,

An excellent capture with great colors, details & pose. Very nicely composed & presented.

Sorry to hear about all your camera & lens problems. Hopefully they'll get resolved to your satisfaction.

TFS & best wishes!

Umar

I'm concerned about the damage to your equipment, Peter.
D90 is a steady good old model and you have done a great job with it here. The Black Stork with metallic sheen on its plumage looks very beautiful.
Hope you enjoyed your holiday in Greece.
Ram

hi Peter,
once again a new species to me :)
the body colour is good as well as that gorgeous red.. i like the sunlight falling on its eye..
tfs
Ruby

Hello Peter,

Hope you are doing fine friend. Yes, welcome back.It is great that you have enjoyed your vacation in Greece despite the cameras' going berserk by falling into a state of disrepair and causing you so many problems. But this photo speaks volumes about your skill as a photographer. This Black Stork looks excellent in the light of the setting sun, the colours are exquisite, the focus sharp and the plumage iridescent as it appears here. Great shoot!

I am impressed by your note as well, it tells us all in a short space and in a delightful manner, a gift surely. Thanks a lot for sharing a wonderful photo and an equally wonderful note....hope all is well....take care...warmest regards/Abid

Ciao Peter.
Stupenda foto di questa cicogna nera,con dei colori stupendi e le loro sfumature,ottima nitidezza con ottini dettagli bene la composizione bravo.
Ciao Marco.

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2012-05-12 10:33]

Hello Peter.
Excellent capture.Superb pose.Very nice moment you caught.Very nice details and beautiful colors.Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2012-05-12 10:50]

excellent capture!

Hello Peter,
A marvelous composition. Wonderful bird..... It is a perfect photo taken from a very good low POV. Excellent light......The details are fantastic. Very sharp and excellent natural colors. I never have the chance to take a photo with this amazing bird.....
Thanks for sharing!
Marius.

Hello Peter
Impressive photo with very good composition and good sharpness. The colours are fantastic!
Regards,
Christodoulos

Ciao Peter. Wonderful colours stunning details and sharp. An interesting specie MF.

Roberto

barthatibor
Hello Peter,
Excellent capture with very nice details and exceptional sharpness.I love the excellent clarity and perfect focus.
Have a nice weekend!
Regards,Tibi

Bonjour Peter,
Agréable valorisation du sujet dans une belle lumière et sous une excellente profondeur de champ permettant d'apprécier la délicatesse des couleurs et la finesse des détails.
A bientôt sur TN pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

hallo Peter,
the light you had permit us to see also that nice rainbow on her feathers.
a wonderful black beauty!
best wishies,
chris

Hello Peter,
great capture of this black stork with good sharpness and a lovely walking pose. I especially like the wonderful evening and the beautiful colours.
Best wishes,
Helmut

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 488 W: 0 N: 566] (4423)
  • [2012-05-12 14:41]

Olá Peter,
Magnífica imagem com um trabalho de macro muito bom parabéns por esta bela foto.
Nilson

Hello Peter.
This is another fine bird from you in excellent details. The red beaks and legs are stunning and nicely exposed plumage.
Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.
Jusni

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2012-05-13 1:52]

Hi Peter.
You have a bad and great luck at the same time. For us (in Ukraine) where service is absent practically it will be a true catastrophe. Using reserve equipment you managed to get amazing picture again. I think you would get such pictures even with simple compact cameras. Fantastic scene at whole and reproduction of every objects: splendid bird, impressive BG, blossoming water. Well done and all the best for you and your camera/lens.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2012-05-13 3:54]

Hello Peter,
Too bad that you had again some problems with your camera. But at least you had another lens at disposition. Your stay on Lesvos seems to have been a success. This striking bird was just one among other encounters. You had the right evening- light to show all the nuances of its beautiful plumage.
An interesting bird, indeed.
Kind regards
Anne

  • Great 
  • KOMSIS Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 820 W: 0 N: 2419] (10674)
  • [2012-05-13 5:58]

Hallo Peter,
in difficult lighting conditions ..
Very good photo of this The Black Stork, great colors, contrast and very fine details.
Have a nice weekend,
Seyfi

hallo Peter
Is het goed gegaan met je andere camera?
Deze mag er wel zijn,super mooie vogel is dit met veel details en super kleuren
We hebben het wel getroffen met het weer ,super goed was
bedankt groet lou

Ciao Peter, great capture of lovelyblack stork in nice walking pose, beautiful ambientation, splendid light, excellent sharpness, fine details and wonderful natural colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

Bom dia Peter
Excellent capture of the black stork.Great POV and composition,wonderful colours and lighting.Congrats!
Thank You,
I wish You luck with Your equipment and enjoy the days..
J.Diogo

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2012-05-14 11:05]

Hello Peter,
I'm sorry to hear about the mishaps with your cameras but nevertheless you got a superb close-up of the Black Stork! Fantastic sharpness and wonderful colours of its spring plumage. We only managed to see this from a distance when on Lesvos, a great place to visit!
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hello Peter

Excellent close-up photo of the Black Stork,
with fine POV and a beautiful light coming to
his head & eye, excellent focus, sharpness, details,

TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • tuslaw Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2754 W: 282 N: 4931] (19883)
  • [2012-05-14 18:03]

Hello Peter,
I must say you sure are having terrible luck time with your equipement. Hopefully you will have things back in order in the near future.
You still managed to show off this beautiful stork with your D90 and 300MM lens. Such an attractive bird with is bright red legs and bill. I also like the iridescent colors in it's dark plumage. Very informative notes. Great work!!
Ron

Hello Peter,
what a nice bird, good colour on the wing. very good PoV. sharpness and colour is splendid.
best wishes,
samiran

great shot Peter, excellent picture, details, focus and colors are perfect, congratulations !

have a nice evening,

ciao, tino

  • Great 
  • Chiza Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 133 W: 0 N: 474] (5351)
  • [2012-05-21 13:55]

Hola Peter, que bella y exótica especie, me gusta mucho el color y el entorno de la toma...saludos.

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