The Rock Partridge is a stunning bird of the grouse family - one of my favourites, really. They are also incredibly difficult to find in the Tirolean Alps, and I only know of a few places where they have been recorded.
Rock Partridge digiscoped with Canon EOS 5D mark II, TLS800 telescope photography adapter, and Swarovski Optik STM80HD telescope, in Alpenzoo.
My one encounter thus far with real wild Rock Partridges here in Tirol was last spring up near Kühtai. I had stopped off in an area where I knew Rock Partridges had been seen before, and got out to take a panorama photo. This is the hastily stitched together result:
The road on the right is the western portion of the road on the left.
Very quickly I heard the distinctive call of the Rock Partridge (play in Xeno-Canto). I never managed to see them, but they were there!
Maybe next spring I will have more luck.
Happy birding,
Dale Forbes
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15 comments:
Great photos and magnificent scenery. Hope you can see a partridge next time you are there.
Cool blog, and I love the Rock Partridge photo. The panorama photo is beautiful, very pretty scene.
Hi Dale - you should be doing more photography than working mate...change your job for 2010!.
Nice pic, wanna turn photography into cash?
see the link below:
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fantastic photo of the partridge! Looks like he is waiting patiently for you to take his photo. I've seen Chukars a few places in the states and they look pretty much identical to the Rock Partridge. Cool birds and awesome photo!
Excellent digiscoped photo, love the composition!
WOW, what an awesome looking bird!
And that Panorama is stunning!
(Even though I can't even imagine right now how cold it must be :) )
Wow!.. bleeding sharp head & shoulder shot.
Power of Swarovski Optik and full frame 5D mark II.
@Mick, thanks for the encouragement - you can be sure I will be out there again in March to try for some photos. But that will take leaving home at 2am to get to the spot on time for the pre-dawn calling!
Hi Eileen, is this your first visit? the scene was stunning and I love it there. That day I had forgotten my snow shoes so kept on sinking in to the snow up to my waist. I wasnt going anywhere fast...
@SWOptics. Change jobs? are you kidding? I get to help develop my dream toys and share them with all my bird friends. A dream job, really.
@ Johnny Nutcase, the Rock Partridge is very very similar to the Chukars and when I first got to Europe, not knowing the former, I just assumed they were Chukars. It was only when I looked them up that I saw the difference.
@ MaineBirder, thanks for the compliment. I looove digiscoping.
Nicole, it is really not that cold. This morning it was only about -7C in Kühtai. No wind and sunny skies. So practically warm.
Hi Tabib, I will try to post some shots this afternoon or tomorrow showing just how sharp telescope photography with this system can be - incredible!
Very nice close-up shot of the partridge. Excellent detail for a digiscoped image.
Hope you get one next time you go there great looking bird.
The markings are very cool looking and the light you had couldn't be any better. Nice that you know where your gems live.
funny looking bird.
I have only begun o explore the digiscoping. It is cold around here so it is not easy.
NF Birds
Glad to find your blog. Beautiful. Love the way the partridge's beak and eye-ring match. Striking.
Outstanding image,Fab photography.
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