Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/09/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Doug, Usually I don't comment as your work is consistantly "WOW" But, you work so hard and provide such visual treats that occasionally telling you that your images are wonderful is worth the bandwidth. WOW. Don don.dory@gmail.com On 9/4/06, Douglas Herr <telyt@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Above 9000' elevation in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, cones of > the Sugar Pine tree are ripening and opening to let their seeds fall. > Numerous species feast on the pine nuts and several species of birds > have developed their own techniques for getting a piece of the action. > > The Pinyon Jay (no photos) has learned to hover just below the open > cones and look for nut that have not yet fallen, then snatching the > morsels in mid-flight. > > Clark's Nutcracker > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/clnu00.jpg > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/clnu01.jpg > > has a powerful bill that he uses, woodpecker-style, to break the cones > apart. > > The Steller's Jay has neither the Pinyon jay's hovering ability nor the > Nutcracker's cone-cracking bill so this species has a technique which > perhaps can best be described as "smash and grab". This jay flies > almost straight up and crashes into the cone with its beak, knocking > some of the nuts loose. > > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/stja01.jpg > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/stja02.jpg > > All photos: R8/DMR, ISO 400, 560mm f/6.8 + 1.4x APO-Extender-R, > shoulder stock & monopod, shutter speed about 1/1500 sec, full > aperture. Location is SW of Reno Nevada. All comments welcome. > > Doug Herr > Birdman of Sacramento > http://www.wildlightphoto.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >