Blue-winged Teal: Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Blue-winged Teal seem to be the most common duck at Orlando Wetlands in January. This is just a study in feather detail as this female gets all the feathers in the right place. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Mallard Ducks (male and female): York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — A pair of Mallards out on the bank of a local pond, and posing nicely for my. camera. OM System OM-1Mkii with 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
American Black Duck: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — The other surprise (besides the Bohemian Waxwing) of my early Sunday morning photo outing was 2 pair of American Black Ducks keeping company with the growing flock of Canada Geese in the tidal creek at the mouth of our local river. This is another bird that I have only seen a few times in Maine, and not for a long time. Again, maybe I have not been looking the right places at the right times, but my impression is that our strange winter is bring out many birds I have not seen in years. (Though American Black Duck is still shown as common along the Maine Coast year-round in the field guides, a bit more research tells me that though once the most common dabbling duck in Eastern North America, populations have radically declined due to habitat loss over the last century, to the point were the Black Duck is a species of concern to many. Though they look like (and may actually be) Mallards they do not seem to be as resilient in the long run.) OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (heavily cropped). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Common Goldeneye (male and female) and Red-breasted Merganser: York County, Maine, USA, January 2024 — The winter ducks are more present this year than in several years past, or so it seems to me. This Goldeneye pair has been hanging out with the Mergansers at the mouth of our local river for a week now. I have to say I think this is the first time I have really noticed the mustard on the female’s beak. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Hooded Merganser: York County, Maine, USA, November 2023 — The winter ducks are coming in. Yesterday I posted a Red-throated Loon from the mouth of one of our rivers, and today we feature these two male Hooded Mergansers. They had one female with them. Hoodies are generally seen in pairs or small flocks and prefer still waters, like those of this tidal creek. OM-Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Indian Spot Billed Duck: Sultanpur National Park, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — We were to see Spot Billed Duck in almost every open patch of water larger than a village tank every where we went in Rajasthan. (And I think they only avoided the tanks because they were usually clogged with floating plastic bottles.) Certainly the most common duck in Rajasthan. A really a beautiful bird! This one came close enough so that I could pretty much clean the murk out of the image and present the bird as it might have appeared on a somewhat clearer day. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. Plus .3EV.
Mallards: Kennebunk River, York County, Maine, USA — It has been an atypically warm winter, and we have had very little ice in the rivers…here we are in mid-January, and we only had a significant amount of ice over the last few days. I generally find concentrations of ducks at edges of river ice and I have missed the mergansers, the occasional wood duck and the rafts of mallards. There was a group of over 100 mallards on the Kennebunk when I visited yesterday…the first large concentration I have seen this winter. Ducks on ice are always photogenic, even in the relatively dull light of a January day. I like the way this group is arranged within the frame…almost exactly were I would have placed them in a painting. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Mallard Ducks: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The golden hour comes earlier and earlier as fall moves on toward winter in southern Maine. This group of Mallards in the marshy area behind Roger’s Pond Park in Kennebunk seem to float on molten gold…and have a touch of gold in the plumage. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Mallards, Roger’s Pond, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Like the Rock Pidgin from yesterday’s post, Mallards probably do not get the appreciation they deserve, simply because they are so common…the default puddle duck across much of North America…likely wherever there is the smallest body of fresh (or at least non-salt) water. I have seen them in rushing rivers and the deep puddles on people’s yards after heavy rains…and everywhere in between. They are, however a beautiful bird, worth the good look I rarely give them. These two bright males were on the small kid’s pond (fishing and skating) in a park here in town. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Mallard, Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk, Maine, USA
I don’t generally get excited about Mallards. They are our most common duck here in Southern Maine…present wherever there is fresh water…ponds, rivers, and marshes. This pair, however, posed among the floating debris of a little backwater between Roger’s Pond and the street above, are just too picture perfect to pass up…especially in these days of self-isolation and limited photo ops 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Two obtrusive reeds removed in TouchRetouch.