Birds in Chamonix
- Thread starter Amy Earl
- Start date
AlanLichty
Moderator
Any clue what kind of birds those are? I love the steep mountains and the deep snow.
Amy Earl
Well-Known Member
Believe they are yellow-billed choughs, members of the crow family. No idea how you pronounce "chough" however 
More info on Wikipedia: Pyrrhocorax graculus
The peak ascending to the right in my first picture and which you can see the top of in this one, is the Aiguille de Midi, which you can take a lift to and is the highest "needle" peak in Chamonix at 3842m (just under and next to the Mont Blanc). I think that icy-looking snow on the edge may be part of a glacier.
More info on Wikipedia: Pyrrhocorax graculusThe peak ascending to the right in my first picture and which you can see the top of in this one, is the Aiguille de Midi, which you can take a lift to and is the highest "needle" peak in Chamonix at 3842m (just under and next to the Mont Blanc). I think that icy-looking snow on the edge may be part of a glacier.
Ken Rennie
Well-Known Member
Pronounced Chuff like a steam train, or at least it is here. Ken
I really like that first one Amy, the birds help fil in an otherwise bland sky above a very nice mountain scene.
Love that first scene with or without the birds. I also like another version in the landscape orientation losing the top. Two for the price or one.
Mike Lewis
Staff Member
very unique capture, love it!
ML
ML
Jim Dockery
Well-Known Member
I love the birds, but the mountains look washed out. I would lower the exposure overall, and pull up a GND from the bottom.
Amy Earl
Well-Known Member
Thanks Mike!
Good idea, thanks for pointing that out Jim. I had thought to do that but then was lazy and didn't. Will do
Jim Dockery
Well-Known Member
I would love to see more of your Chamonix shots. During my 8 years teaching in Germany I spent many summers climbing in and around Chamonix. In fact I've climbed all the faces in this shot.
Jim Dockery
Well-Known Member
Amy, your picture reminded me of a classic old pano poster I've had for over 30 years. I had to go out into my garage to take a cell phone shot. This is a crop that takes out the Dru and Verte on the left because the glare on the poster was too much.
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Amy Earl
Well-Known Member
Oh wow, did you shoot this yourself when you were there? There's that same flock of "choucas" flying around (as they call them here). I'm eager to compare the glacier extending down into the valley under Mont Blanc in this shot to the present as the glaciers have receded quite a bit since back then. I'll post some more photos of these peaks soon when I have some time to look through what I have.
What did you teach in Germany?
Thanks for sharing this cool old poster!
Jim Dockery
Well-Known Member
Amy, I wish I'd shot this back in the days before digital it took specialized panoramic cameras to get a shot like this. I bought the poster when I was there.
I taught elementary school (6th grade, then P.E. for 7 yrs.) for the Department of Defense Schools on an army base in north Bavaria. I love Bavaria, and had excellent rock climbing within a 30 min. drive, but the French Alps were too far for weekend trips so I would head down in the summer when school was out and live in my VW van for 2-3 months.
I taught elementary school (6th grade, then P.E. for 7 yrs.) for the Department of Defense Schools on an army base in north Bavaria. I love Bavaria, and had excellent rock climbing within a 30 min. drive, but the French Alps were too far for weekend trips so I would head down in the summer when school was out and live in my VW van for 2-3 months.
