Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

[Ross the fiddler]

These two Common Bronzewing Pigeons (Phaps chalcoptera) were picking around our yard today. The male has the pale yellow forehead. They are known for their call that is an extraordinary mournful whooo repeated at metronomic intervals for an interminable (and annoyingly long) length of time.

I used the built in flash for a bit of fill & it also highlighted the colours in the wing. The male has the pale yellow forehead.







Taken on an E30 with ZD70-300 lens.

For those interested in more reading of these birds

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronzewing_pigeon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Bronzewing

Thanks for looking.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

These are not my best photos, just the best I could get of these birds so far. During the warmer months their monotonous call makes you wish you had a sling shot to silence them as they just keep on keeping on with their continuous call. When they come to visit, I relent & just shoot them with my camera.

All comments welcome.

[Floribunda]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

Hi Ross - You did pretty well to capture these very flighty & shy birds at all. It is hard to get close to them, and even harder to get some light on those pretty wings.
We get a pair in our yard too & I have several photos of them but not the right photo yet!

Thanks for enlightening me too - I hadn't noticed the male's yellow top before so now will be able to ID more accurately.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

Hi Ross - You did pretty well to capture these very flighty & shy birds at all. It is hard to get close to them, and even harder to get some light on those pretty wings.
We get a pair in our yard too & I have several photos of them but not the right photo yet!

Thanks for enlightening me too - I hadn't noticed the male's yellow top before so now will be able to ID more accurately.

Thanks for the encouragement. The fill flash, even at that distance, highlighted the iridescent colours for me nicely. I've got other photos of a female & again, not all that great either, but this is the first time a male hung around for the photos.

I was wondering if this thread was going to get noticed because other new threads just kept coming in thick & fast.

[ringneck]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

Still good I.D. shots for us Brits

......."During the warmer months their monotonous call makes you wish you had a sling shot to silence them as they just keep on keeping on with their continuous call. When they come to visit, I relent & just shoot them with my camera"..........I will arrange for some Wood Pigeons to be shipped over...Ah the melodious sound of there versatile cooing...heaven......NOT..he he.

......"I was wondering if this thread was going to get noticed because other new threads just kept coming in thick & fast.".........Bet ya mine beat yours over to page 2 without a mention....


Keith

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

Thanks for your kind comments Keith.

[Greytop]

Re: Pigeon Pair (Common Bronzewing)

These certainly fit the Pigeon mould Ross, interesting colouring, thanks for Sharing