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wittle weaver


wittle weaver
Photo Information
Copyright: Chris Neumann (chrisruth) Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 34 W: 0 N: 63] (213)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2010-01-15
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 450D, Sigma 70-300 DG Macro
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2010-02-01 10:04
Viewed: 4386
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Southern Masked-Weaver?

I can’t be 100% sure but I’m almost certain this is a immature Southern Masked-Weaver as the Newman’s bird book describes the immature with duller, greyer underparts.
This little weaver was taken on a cold drizzly day at Albert Falls dam. It had fluffed itself up to keep warm.
Anyways I thought it was a cute bird and hope all of you will enjoy it too.

The Southern Masked-Weaver or African Masked-weaver (Ploceus velatus) is a resident breeding bird species common throughout southern Africa.
This weaver is very widespread and found in a wide range of habitats, including shrubland, savanna, grassland, open woodland, inland wetlands and semi-desert areas. It also occurs in suburban gardens and parks.

Description

The Southern Masked-Weaver is 11-14.5 cm long with a short, strong, conical bill and pinkish brown legs. The adult male in breeding plumage has a black face, throat and beak, red eye, bright yellow head and underparts, and a plain yellowish-green back,
The female has a pinkish-brown bill, brown or red-brown eye and is dull greenish-yellow, streaked darker on the upper back. The throat is yellowish, fading to off-white on the belly. The non-breeding male resembles the female but retains the red eye. The juvenile of this species is like the female.
The call is a harsh swizzling, similar to other weavers. It also utters a sharp chuk alarm note.

Behaviour

Breeding

The Southern Masked-Weaver nests in colonies, mainly from September to January. Males have several female partners, and build a succession of nests, typically 25 each season. The nests, like those of other weavers, are woven from reed, palm or grass. A female will line a selected nest with soft grass and feathers. The nest is built in a tree, often over water, but sometimes in suburbia. his weaver also nests in reeds.

Feeding

The Southern Masked-Weaver is usually seen singly or in small groups. It may also form larger flocks, alone or with other seed eating species. It eats insects, seeds and nectar, and will come to feeding tables.

References

Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN

Source

Post processing done with Adobe Photoshop Elements 4
florin_greeny, JoseMiguel, Noisette, Jamesp, Miss_Piggy, Argus, saeedabbasi, boreocypriensis, loot, roges, jhm, siggi, jusninasirun has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Argus: Southern Maskedchrisruth 1 02-05 05:50
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Critiques [Translate]

Hy Chris, it's a wonderful photo. Congratulations !
Regards, Florin

Hello Chris,
A beautiful first plane of this buddy.
The image has a lot of character, perhaps because of the compsoition chosen, with all that pointy branches surrounding the subject, and then that pose sort of helpless.
It's so good also the drizzle seen at the back.
Congratulations and thnaks for share.
Best regards,
JM

Hello Chris
a fine capture of this nice bird, great details on his beautiful plumage
very good POV and pose, the grey BG gives this shot a very special winter atmosphere
Very well done
Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1369 W: 9 N: 6334] (18906)
  • [2010-02-02 23:33]

Hi Chris

Nice capture of this weaver - good pose and detail.

Best wishes

James

Hallo Chris
I wish I had more time.
The cold weather is well seen in this image of the “wittle weaver” as per your title. The fluffy plumage is well seen indicating it still to be a youngster. Kind regards and thanks for sharing.
Anna

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2010-02-05 5:39]
  • [+]

Hello Chris,
A fine portrait of this juvenile Weaver.
I think you're right about it being a Southern Masked.
The POV, colours, BG and composition are first class and the details are well shown.
Thanks and have a good weekend,
Ivan

Hi dear Chris ,
Great work.
Composition and fucus are excellent.
Lovely shot

Best wishes
Seaed

nice composition, TFS Ori

Hi Chris,

The weaver seems well focused against the background due to the shallow DOF in that cold and rainy day. Nice to feel rainy effect on your shot. Love it.
TFS and habve a nice night and saturday!
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5524 W: 722 N: 4163] (11276)
  • [2010-02-06 12:49]

Hi Chris

A lovely capture of this dainty fluff ball. The plumage details on the little Southern Masked-
Weaver fledgling is well presented. Actually it gave you a wonderful side-on pose. The BG
is well isolated and OOF and I really like how you managed to capture the little bird inside a
cleaner area of the crisscrossing and thorny twigs. I am happy to notice the improvement in
you post processing. Experience is everything. Keep up the good work.

Well done and TFS.
Take care and have a great weekend.
Regards
Loot

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 957 W: 0 N: 1329] (6264)
  • [2010-02-07 2:50]

Hi Chris,
Excellent this macro with this small and beautifully colored bird.
Nice POV with some details and color top.
Have a nice day,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 893 W: 0 N: 507] (1853)
  • [2010-02-07 3:26]

Hello chris,

Wonderful plumage, also the beak and eye are very real taken.
Nice detailed, pleasant of colors.
Excellent composition, very well captured.

Have a nice sunday,
John.

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2010-02-07 9:45]

Hello Chris.
Lovely comp. and BG. I like the level of sharpness and detail, very nice color & light.
Very well done.
Best regards Siggi

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2010-02-09 7:14]

Hi Chris,
very cute and fluffy bird you have taken. It so lively with the eyes and feathers well detailed and sharp. i like the branches too that give a graphical composition.
Nicely done with pleasant scenery.

Regards,
Foozi

Hi Chris.

This is such a wonderful bird shot. Those thorny branches adds perspective to this very sharp image. Exposure of the plumage is stunning and the framing is flawless. Love the razor thin DoF and thanks for sharing.

Regards,
Jusni

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