Death in the Grass

[Maczero]

While have a short break on Eriskay in Argyll, we came across this skull in the grass by the shoreline - thin bone with holes in it as though to reduce weight. Is it a bird's skull?

I have been trying to learn how to convert images to B&W to the same effect as Silver Efex Pro. Still working on it, but this is my latest attempt.

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Grateful for C&C. Thanks for looking

Andrew

 

[Streetshooter]

Andrew, It's a nice conversion. The tones are nice and the image tone is a very nice Portriga Tone, much desired by the old silver guys like me....
Don't sweat the Silver Efex. Just work with what you have, so far you got it going on.....
Don

 

[BBW]

Perhaps Barrie AKA grebeman will know which bird this is/was?

I like the tone, too - it works wonderfully with the skull!

 

[bilzmale]

Very effective - my guess is a pelican skull.

 

[Maczero]

It's really kind to attempt an identification of the skull, but I don't think it is a pelican because Eriskay is a small island in Argyllshire, west coast of Scotland. Pelicans are not native. Also, no way of telling from the picture, it is too small. My speculation was a heron - there are some on the island.

Andrew

 

[Krang]

Nice conversion. I like the tones, but I would have made it bit more contrasty. For added balance and smoother transition between light and dark.

What size is the skull? I have never seen anything like that. Reminds me of a crocodile, but I guess you don't have them in Argyll

 

[grebeman]

Hi Andrew,
Well we both know that given the location where you found this skull we can rule out Pelican, it's not a species on the British list. As has been remarked on there is no scale to judge the size, obviously as an artistic photograph the last thing you want to see is a rule laid alongside the skull, for scientific purposes it would be an important addition, certainly our county moth recorder has complemented the photographs I have sent him of rare or odd moths to get his confirmation on id where I include a scale, most people do not include such a guide and judging size is the very difficult. The resulting photograph is of course not a work of art. In this instance we do have some grass which helps to some extent. Gull skulls exhibit the holes seen in this skull, however the eye sockets are not as found in a Gull skull. A Heron would show a much narrower and tapering structure in front of the eye socket, if anything this one widens out, and again the eye socket has much less bone around it than this one shows.
The near complete bony surround to the eye socket together with the little spur like extension suggests to me that this skull once belonged to a Duck or possibly a Goose, but as to which specific species I am unable to help. I hope this is of some interest to those of you who have seen this thread.

Barrie

 

[Newnan3]

I would like it more if it was a bit brighter......