Tylas Vanga // Vanga-de-cabeça-preta

            (Tylas eduardi)
Ranomafana
Madagascar

The first morning of photography in Madagascar didn't start well either. First, the guides wanted to show us the forest rock thrush, but it was always at the top of very tall trees and invariably projected against a dull sky. 
Then, we entered the trail, and Rosa, still not recovered from the effort the previous afternoon (with an empty stomach) and with the correct premonition that it would be another hard task without results, decided to rest. Nita (Ana) stayed with me for two hours, and we could hardly photograph anything until the appearance of a tiny bird wave (a phenomenon that occurs in some countries, especially in Asia, where suddenly several birds of various species appear to feed together and then disappear).

Until then, the guides either showed us tiny birds 50m high in the treetops (impossible to focus on) and insisted, "take a photo, take a photo, it's a beautiful species," to which I ironically replied, "yes, it's a beautiful dot". Or they expected for us to photograph through a thick, almost opaque curtain of vegetation. The only photographable bird was spotted by me, and it was a female Velvet Asity.

When this mini bird wave appeared, we finally started to photograph, but we were penalized by the guides' complete lack of photographic knowledge. With this bird, for example, I was "tricked" by them, and I stopped taking better photos because they started calling me insistently, thinking that, in their ignorance, I would have better opportunities with closer birds. However, in that position, only the legs and belly were visible, as they were directly above our heads at a 90-degree angle.

We had to take a break and explain that a good bird photo is not obtained from below, against a dull sky, or that it is impossible to focus on a bird behind a maze of leaves, trunks, branches, and bushes. 

They understood well, and the next afternoon, they already took that extra care that a normal birdwatcher usually doesn't need to have. I was surprised that they still didn't know how to distinguish between observers and photographers. In other countries I visited, the guides already have that know-how, and some even explained to me that the landscape has changed in recent years with the increasing number of photographers.
   

Taken in: Madagascar / Vatovavy Fitovinany / Ranomafana / Ambatolahy (show map)

Taken on: November 11, 2023

Tags:

Tylas Vanga

vanga-de-cabeça-preta

PASSERIFORMES

Vangidae

Tylas

Tylas à tête noire

Vanga cabecinegro

Vanga

IOC_131

IOC_131:seq=6352

IOC_131:binomial=Tylas eduardi

IOC_131:name=Tylas Vanga

IOC141

IOC141:seq=6371

IOC141:binomial=Tylas eduardi

IOC141:name=Tylas Vanga

species:number=1397

8thcontinent

Oitavo Continente « less

Sets appears in: • 17 - 01 - Madagascar (2023) • A0 - 2C - PASSERIFORMES more » • A1 - 93 - Vangidae • Tylas eduardi « less

Camera: Nikon D500, f/8.0, 1/100 sec, 600mm (=900mm), ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D500
Lens:	150-600mm f/5-6.3
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Focal Length:	600mm (35mm equivalent: 900mm)
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	-5/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	DxO PureRAW 2
Show full info

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