2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Victor Tyakht

Rainbow wings

The Bird's wing acts as a diffraction grating - a surface structure with a repeating pattern of ridges or slits.   The structure causes the incoming light rays to spread out, bend and split into spectral colours, producing this shimmering rainbow effect, captured here by Victor.   This photo is one of 25 images chosen by the UK's Natural History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates.   The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 10, 2017.

Please comment if you wish.

 Barry Wallace

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Mario Ceo

The blue tail

The kingfisher frequented this natural pond everyday, and Mario Ceo used a high shutter speed with artificial light to capture the wake as the bird dived down towards the water.   This photo is one of 25 images chosen by the UK's Natural History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates.   The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 10, 2017.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Gunther Riehle

Facing the storm

Gunther arrived at the frozen sea ice in Antarctica in sunshine, but by evening a storm had picked up.   By the early morning, snow had arrived,   He concentrated on taking images of the Emperor Penguin chicks huddled together to shield themselves from the force of the storm.   This photo is one of 25 images chosen by the UK's Natural History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates.   The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 19, 2017.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Christobal Serrano

TASTY DELICACY

The natural world provides countless magical moments, none more so than when a tiny, elegant hummingbird softly inserts its slender bill into the corolla of a flower to drink nectar.   Christobal was lucky enough to capture the exact moment in Los Quetzales National Park in San Jose, Costa Rica.   This photo is one of 25 images chosen by the UK's Natural History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates.   The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 10, 2017.

Please comment if you wish.

Barrythe Birder

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Gordon Illg

Ghostly Snow Geese

These Snow Geese looked like ghosts in the pink early morning light as they landed among Sandhill Cranes in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, in New Mexico, US.   Gordon had no control over the patterns made by the landing geese.   All he could do was compose the image around the cranes and keep pushing the shutter button as the geese dropped down.   This photo is one 25 images chosen by the UK's Natural History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates. The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 10, 1917.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Photo by Guy Edwards

Eye contact

The Dalmation Pelican, seen here on Lake Kerkini, Greece, is the world's largest pelican species.   It is native to eastern Europe, Russia, and Asia, but its current population is threatened in some areas from hunting, water pollution and habitat loss, particularly a decline in wetlands.   This photo is one of 25 images chosen by the UK's National History Museum for its 2016 short list of Wildlife Photographer of the Year candidates.   The people's choice winning photo of the year will be determined after January 19, 2017.

Please comment if you wish. 

BarrytheBirder

World's most popular national bird

Photo by Martin Mecnarowski

GOLDEN EAGLE

AAquila chrysaetosA

I published a blog entry nine days ago in which I commented on the breeding success of the Golden Eagle in Scotland.   I have since discovered that the Golden Eagle is the national bird of Scotland, as well as Afghanistan, Albania, Egypt, Germany and Mexico, which makes it the most popular national bird of the world's 196 countries.   In fact, raptors (mostly eagles) are the national birds of 25 countries in the world.   The Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States of America, while other types of eagles, condors, falcons, vultures, goshawks and kestrels round out the list of 25 raptors.   Surprisingly, while 121 countries are designated as having a 'national' bird, only 95 countries have given 'official' status to certain chosen birds. 26 other countries are involved, in many different stages, of declaring official status.   And of course many countries, like Canada, have no official bird...yet.

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BarrytheBirder

International Centre for Birds of Prey in Gloucestershire

Photos by Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

75 species cared for in centre at Newent

Photographer Dan Kitwood captures a one-year-old Andean Condor, named Moccas, attempting to take flight in central England, near the Welsh border.   Below, Moccas shares a hug with staffer Holly Cale.   Sharing such close contact with a condor is rare because of its size and powerful beak.   In the third photo, Moccas shrouds Holly with his 10-foot wingspan.   Condors are the world's largest flying birds and are endangered in the wild, in their native South America.

For more more photos and information on the hawks, eagles, falcons and other birds of prey, visit the ICBP website.   As well as treating injured wild birds, the centre focuses on breeding and conservation.

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BarrytheBirder

You have to think big...

Photo by Sam Yeh / AFP / Getty Images

A Black-crowned Night Heron certainly seems to have its beak full with this carp capture from Lake Wantan, in New Taipai City, Taiwan.   Like all fish-catching birds, you first concern yourself with catching a fish and then secondly with swallowing it.   Black-crowned Night Herons are usually referred to as just 'night herons' in Eurasia.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

Donald Trump lookalike?

Photo: China Stringer / Network Reuters / in The Guardian

A Golden Pheasant at Hangzhou Safari Park, in Zhejiang China, is getting lots of attention, according to local media, because its golden feathers resemble Donald Trump's hairstyle.

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BarrytheBirder

Grey Jay proposed as Canada's official bird

                                                        Photo by Steve Phillips
GREY JAY

Perisoreus canadensis

The Grey Jay has been selected by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society as its designated choice for Canada's official bird.   The society's National Bird Project had as its goal the declaring of an official bird of Canada by 2017, the 150th anniversary of the country's confederation.   Initial reaction included widespread comment that the bird was not a suitable choice as it is not well known across the country.   A voter's choice poll selected the Grey Jay as its 3rd-place selection, but society officials over-ruled the placing and bumped the jay to first place.   It's a good thing it is such a tough survivor in the Canadian wilderness, as it already has a couple of big obstacles: not being well-known by most Canadians, and having other birds as more popular choices.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder   

Egret hunts for fish in Tokyo, Japan

Photo: Kunito Imai / Rex / Shutterstock

a few white feathers

legs almost invisible

always centre stage

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BarrytheBirder

Britain's magnificent Golden Eagle

 Photo by Peter Cairns / Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

GOOD NEWS IN SCOTLAND

Pictured above is a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Cairnsgorn National Park, in north east Scotland.   Cairnsgorn is the largest British National Park at 4,528 sq. kms.   Numbers of the Golden Eagle have risen and there are now more than 500 breeding pairs, up 15% and passing the threshold at which the species' long-term future is thought viable.   

Photo by Martin Mecnarowski (http://www.photomecan.eu/)

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Shingles is a pain

I've recenly had a bout of Shingles...no fun...very painful. I am on the road to recovery thankfully and will be chatting with you soon.   Keep those feeders full.

BarrytheBirder. 

The Northern Cardinal

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

NORTHERN CARDINAL

Cardinalis cardinalis

Seven American states have the Northern Cardinal as their official bird.   They are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.   No other bird species is the official bird of as many American states as this red wonder.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Birdbox perch

                                                                                                       Photo by BarrytheBirder

I wonder what sparked this idea?

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BarrytheBirder

Kingbirds

Eastern
Kingbird
(left)

Gray 

Kingbird

(right)

Photos 
by
 Barry
the Birder

               
According to my 'World Checklist of Birds' by Monroe and Sibley (1993), there are 11 kingbird species in the world, two of which I have taken pictures of (see above). The Eastern Kingbird I photographed close to home in King City, Ontario, Canada. The other, the Gray Kingbird, I photographed on St. Maarten, in the Caribbean Sea.   I have also seen the Tropical Kingbird in the Yucatan, Mexico, and the Loggerhead Kingbird in Barbados.   At 75 years of age, I'm not sure how many more trips from Canada to the sunny south I have in me, but I do hope to add some more kingbirds.   After all, 11 kingbird species are to be found in the central western hemisphere, around the Caribbean and in northern South America.   One can always dream.
Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder

Backyard birdbath

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Raindrops and ripples in the birdbath

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BarrytheBirder

Planet Earth II set to premiere

 Photo: BBC

Flamingos are seen above in one of a chain of salt lakes, found at more 12,000 ft. in the Andes, which provides a safe refuge for flamingo colonies, where they select mates and breed.   In the photo below, Sand Grouse take to the wing to avoid being trampled by fighting oryx or gemsbok, at a water-hole in a Namibian nature reserve.   The Sand Grouse may have flown for 60 miles to get to this water, but must wait until the oryx have left, before they can drink in peace.   Both scenes are from Planet Earth II, a spectacular sequel to the groundbreaking appearance of the original Planet Earth television series of 10 years ago.  

Photo: Barrie Britton / BBC NHU

Sir David Attenborough reprises his role 

as the distinguished host for the new series.

Photo: Sarah Dunn / BBC

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BarrytheBirder

One-of-a-kind species

                                                                    Photo: Ken Haley/Greatstock/Barcroft Images

SHOEBILL

Balaeniceps rex

Many birds do not appear at their best when gathering nesting materials, and Shoebills may fall into that category, at least based on the appearance of the one pictured above, photographed by Ken Haley, in Uganda, which appeared recently in the British newspaper, The Guardian.   Shoebills occupy tropical freshwater swamps in central eastern Africa from Sudan south to Zambia.   Several attempts to relate the Shoebill to other species have not been particularly successful so far, so its singular status remains intact at this time.   Birdlife International considers the Shoebill's total estimated population of 5,000 to 8,000 birds as "Vulnerable".   This 5' tall, odd-looking bird is also known as the Whalehead or the Shoebilled Stork.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder 

Learning to appreciate Audubon

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                                                                                                                   According to Wikipedia, John James Audubon (1785-1851) developed his own methods for drawing birds. First he killed them using fine shot.   He then used wires to prop them into a natural position.   His paintings of birds were set true-to-life in their natural habitats.   He often portrayed them as if caught in motion, especially feeding or hunting.   This was in stark contrast to the stiff representations of birds by his contemporaries.   All species were drawn to life size which accounts for the contorted poses of the larger birds (such as the Great Blue Heron, pictured above) as Audubon strived to fit them within the maximum page sizes his publishers dictated.   Larger birds were often placed in their ground habitats or perching on stumps.   I always used to feel the contorted poses looked somewhat contrived and painful, but now appreciate them fully for their overall mastery and beauty.   These days when I look at some of the photos I have taken of birds, such as the Great Blue Heron (pictured below) in Cozumel, I realize that the birds themselves often contort their shapes and positions into remarkable and bizarre poses. 

                                                                                                Photo by BarrytheBirder

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder