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My trip to WuYuan was primarily in search of this bird, Courtois' Laughing Thrush, (and the Pied Falconets - though they are not endangered) armed with information on the exact locations in WuYuan where these very rare birds can be found (this information is not widely available and is just being passed on from birder to birder).
This is a little information on how endangered these birds are :
Even though the available data on courtoisi are still quite limited, enough is known to draw some tentative conclusions as to its status - given the fact that the known birds are now totally in one local population, with 150-160 individuals and in one small area only. In accordance with the latest version of the IUCN Red List Criteria 2000, (17) the subspecies courtoisi certainly qualifies as Endangered (EN), and quite possibly even Critically Endangered (CR), given its presumed population size and the range it actually seems to occupy. For example, of the four breeding sites of this taxon which have been located, none is larger than 10 ha in total size, which shows how phenomenally circumscribed the breeding territory of this relict subspecies has become.
The results of our exhaustive field searches reveal that the first, and for a long time also the only, record of Courtois's Laughingthrush, though nearly a century old, is by no means an incidental one. There has evidently long been a very small, remnant population of the bird tenaciously surviving in Wuyuan - and only Wuyuan.
In the last 10 years, the local authorities and government in Wuyuan County have been making constant efforts in conservation, including the delimiting of so-called Mini-Protected Areas (MPAs), with ranges varying from a few hectares to hundreds of hectares or even more. When field studies on courtoisi were initiated, more than 180 MPAs had already been established, which cover a remarkable portion of the territory of Wuyuan and should bode well for the future of the birds.
I hope you enjoy these shots at least part as much as I did taking them !
Two for Joy
And Baby Makes Three
Fluff
Fatty Bum Bum
Rainbow (sorry not great IQ but it amused me so I hope you enjoy it too) !
The Eyes Have It
Don't Bug Me !
This is a little information on how endangered these birds are :
Even though the available data on courtoisi are still quite limited, enough is known to draw some tentative conclusions as to its status - given the fact that the known birds are now totally in one local population, with 150-160 individuals and in one small area only. In accordance with the latest version of the IUCN Red List Criteria 2000, (17) the subspecies courtoisi certainly qualifies as Endangered (EN), and quite possibly even Critically Endangered (CR), given its presumed population size and the range it actually seems to occupy. For example, of the four breeding sites of this taxon which have been located, none is larger than 10 ha in total size, which shows how phenomenally circumscribed the breeding territory of this relict subspecies has become.
The results of our exhaustive field searches reveal that the first, and for a long time also the only, record of Courtois's Laughingthrush, though nearly a century old, is by no means an incidental one. There has evidently long been a very small, remnant population of the bird tenaciously surviving in Wuyuan - and only Wuyuan.
In the last 10 years, the local authorities and government in Wuyuan County have been making constant efforts in conservation, including the delimiting of so-called Mini-Protected Areas (MPAs), with ranges varying from a few hectares to hundreds of hectares or even more. When field studies on courtoisi were initiated, more than 180 MPAs had already been established, which cover a remarkable portion of the territory of Wuyuan and should bode well for the future of the birds.
I hope you enjoy these shots at least part as much as I did taking them !
Two for Joy
And Baby Makes Three
Fluff
Fatty Bum Bum
Rainbow (sorry not great IQ but it amused me so I hope you enjoy it too) !
The Eyes Have It
Don't Bug Me !
Comment by Frogfish posted on One of the World's Rarest Birds - Courtois' Laughing Thrush at 15/07/2012 - 18:53
Pentaxophile wrote:
If I had a 5k windfall and had to spend it on gear, my problem would be deciding between the Nikon D700 or Canon 5d ii. Would prefer Nikon really but like the idea of using M42 and K lenses on a FF Canon.
Some of your lenses may have a problem with the mirror in the 5Dii regardless of the adapter. I found that some would need surgery - put me right off.If I had a 5k windfall and had to spend it on gear, my problem would be deciding between the Nikon D700 or Canon 5d ii. Would prefer Nikon really but like the idea of using M42 and K lenses on a FF Canon.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Dream Pentax Kit... at 15/07/2012 - 15:43
My wife's just got back from a month in Europe and picked this up from our daughter's. In perfect condition.
Thanks Chris.
Thanks Chris.
Comment by Frogfish posted on For sale: Bean Bag at 15/07/2012 - 13:04
Smeggypants wrote:
Ditto .... I have the two original batteries that came with my K5s and 4 no-names. No difference at all in performance and those 4 batteries cost me the same as ONE Pentax battery. I now have far more security than I would have had I just bought Pentax batteries.johnriley wrote:
You'll need two K-5s as it always needs a spare, just in case. Then three batteries for each, original Pentax ones as there's no room for error here.
I'm afraid cannot agree with that comment at all. Plenty of third party batteries have been shown to work just as well as batteries with a Pentax badge on. You'll need two K-5s as it always needs a spare, just in case. Then three batteries for each, original Pentax ones as there's no room for error here.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Dream Pentax Kit... at 15/07/2012 - 12:44
Mike-P wrote:
I'm not saying you can't do a wedding with a K-5, of course you can .. and very well but you need a professional company behind you that is ready to loan you a camera at the drop of a hat should yours go wrong the day before (as an example).
Same goes with any professional shoot, not just weddings.
Until Pentax have the same system (and range of equipment) in place as Canon and Nikon they unfortunately stand no chance of getting into the "real" professional markets in any great numbers.
Actually I have always thought this .. but right now you can get a K5 for US$800 so if going into weddings then there is no problem having 3 or even 4 K5s and still saving a lot left over any CaNikon FF camera. Redundancy in cameras now in place you get the lenses you need but have overlap so if one fails on you or is stolen, damaged etc. then you again have redundancy in lenses.I'm not saying you can't do a wedding with a K-5, of course you can .. and very well but you need a professional company behind you that is ready to loan you a camera at the drop of a hat should yours go wrong the day before (as an example).
Same goes with any professional shoot, not just weddings.
Until Pentax have the same system (and range of equipment) in place as Canon and Nikon they unfortunately stand no chance of getting into the "real" professional markets in any great numbers.
He isn't starting from scratch so for £10,000 I'm sure you could get there. FF isn't a imperative in either Studio (ask Benjikan who shoots Pentax for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar) or weddings (lots of Pentax wedding togs out there, and on here).
Comment by Frogfish posted on Dream Pentax Kit... at 15/07/2012 - 12:37
Like the Barn Swallow shot - very nice.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Martin Mere images at 15/07/2012 - 12:24
Not a bad shot amongst them and some quite superb ones too. Love the shots in the rain best.
Comment by Frogfish posted on Silverstone 2012 at 13/07/2012 - 15:50
Superb Snappy !
Just a wonderful opportunistic shot.
Just a wonderful opportunistic shot.
Comment by Frogfish posted on A British summer at 13/07/2012 - 15:48
Gorgeous Kestrel shot !
I've .. errr added 'Beaky' to my list of birds to be birded !
I've .. errr added 'Beaky' to my list of birds to be birded !
Comment by Frogfish posted on Birds of Prey 2 at 13/07/2012 - 15:47
