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White-winged Crossbill


White-winged Crossbill
Photo Information
Copyright: Rick Price (Adanac) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-03-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 40D, Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6L IS
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/30 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-03-22 9:24
Viewed: 3105
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hi All,
Well today I thought I would post this image of a male White-Winged Crossbill, I captured a few days ago in the Cypress Hills. It was a beautiful spring day, but today we have returned to winter with snow and cold. I have been away from posting for a while due to personal reasons, but I will try and be here more often as I miss this community a great deal while I'm gone.
Rick

White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
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General Description

By Nora Bryan

In Alberta, the White-winged Crossbill is a resident of western half and northern third of the Province and in the Cypress Hills. As with many of our over-wintering birds, their winter range expands in some years in relation to food abundance and they may be sighted in the Parkland region.

These crossbills breed in mature spuce or fir dominated forests, and rarely stray far from stands of mature trees. Since they are irruptive in their habits, they may be abundant in an area one year, and completely absent the next. Look for them in city parks high up in large conifers in years when they are abundant.

With their curiously twisted beaks, White-winged Crossbills are supremely adapted for prying seeds from the cones of conifers, particularly of spruce and fir. A rain of cone scales is often a tip-off that a quiet flock of crossbills is feeding high overhead. They also take other seeds, and are occasionally found at feeders. Like some other gregarious birds, their penchant for road salt sometimes results in mass traffic fatalities.

Crossbills are unusual in that they may nest almost any time of the year. A nest of twigs, rootlets, grass, weed stems, bark, moss and lichens is situated on a tree branch into which three or four very pale bluish eggs with dark and lavender markings are laid. Eggs are incubated for up to two weeks.
siggi, nglen, Marx44, MMM, eqshannon, NinaM, jaycee, BillyGoat, boreocypriensis, CeltickRanger, ramthakur, nasokoun, Noisette, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2009-03-22 9:31]

Hello Rick,
Excellent capture of this White-winged Crossbill with great pose and composition, sharp details and nicely blurred BG.
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2009-03-22 9:32]

Hi Good to see you again i hope all is ok now for you. We have had a taste of spring this week with warm sunshine. This is a bird i have not seen so thanks for posting. You have taken it with good detail and natural colours. We can see all of the markings so well. TFS.
Nick..

Hello Rick,
This is a very beautiful bird well captured!
good close up with excellent sharpness, wonderful colour and details in the composition!
Very good useful notes
TFS
Marx

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2009-03-22 9:47]

Hello Rick,
Good to see you back.
What a great photo! The natural colours and environment are amazing. Excellent sharp details, low POV and composition.
Very beautiful!
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1114 W: 0 N: 2546] (11425)
  • [2009-03-22 10:23]

Hi Rick
Nice to see you back.Great image with good POV.Sharp image with good plumage detail,I also liek the great colors and the nice catch light in the eye.
TFS Michel

Hey Rick! Good show..now where have I seen this? it is a super shot...I am daily amazed at the sheer number of good quality photos you put out..and all from short or medium country rides....You seem to be attracted to areas as if a homing bird or whale...Super shot and keep em coming..Lots of people enjoy them!
Bob

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer [C: 773 W: 3 N: 1157] (4077)
  • [2009-03-22 10:39]

Hello Monsieur Rick, what a joy to look at a picture from you! I only saw once this beautiful bird, lucky you! And what a beautiful set up, among the cones and branches, it makes for a beautiful decor for the bird, looking to feed himself. Super shot my friend, so glad to see you back and hope you are fine and Lucy too!

Francine

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2009-03-22 12:47]

Hi Rick,

I hope everything is okay - since I was gone I didn't know of your absence. This White-winged Crossbill is a beautiful bird with excellent colors and details. I love the pose and the setting of pine cones. The composition is superb!

Jane

hello Rick
beautiful picture
super sharpness with good details of the bird
great colours
greeting lou

Hey Rick, good to see your images again. I think I'd crop out the bottom blur a bit, but otherwise a fine image.

hello Rick

happy to see from your photos again, excellent photo
of the White-winged Crossbill, with the fine lw POV,
also fine DOF and framing, beautiful warm luminosity
and colour tones, excellent sharpness and details,
the catch-light at the eye render the photo more beautiful,

TFS

Asbed

Hi Rick,nice to see you again here. What a beautiful bird!
Its colours and pattern just great and you captured it perfectly as usual with a charming atmosphere.
TFS and cheers,
Bayram

Welcome back, Rick.
You were sorely missed on TN.
This is a wonderful capture of a Crossbill sitting on pine cones.
The focus on the bird is exceptionally sharp and the colours on its body and plumage beautiful.
Please continue posting regularly.
Warm regards.
Ram

very good scene with chromatic balance, with good detail,
small the difference from the one that lives in Greece,very beautiful and particular bird, very good photo
best regards Rick
Nasos

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 996 W: 123 N: 2341] (7912)
  • [2009-03-22 23:12]

Hi Rick!

Your picture of the male White-Winged Crossbill is superb. Isn't it also a fine example of the camouflage? I like the unity of the colour tones very much. Moreover, the rich details in the plumage of the bird highlight its beauty.

Kind regards

Markus

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 967 W: 26 N: 3888] (16941)
  • [2009-03-23 1:09]

Hello Rick
You capture this bird very well with low POV and good details. Well done
Regards
Razvan

Hello Rick
you have captured ths white-winged crossbill with very great details
Ilike the composition with this natural environment and warm colrs
great lighting too
very well done
Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2009-03-23 10:41]

Hi Rick.
Pictured bird is so amazing as surroundings. Last one is very pictorial. Ground covered by dry cones is looked wonderfully. Colouration of this carpet is fine. Image of the bird also is first-class. I am impressed with great details and sharpness. All numerous charming features of the bird are reflected perfectly. Bravo. Well done.
Alexei.

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