Familiar Faces

 

I sometimes think that we undervalue some of our most common species of birds. We might go to a local park or walk along a river bank or canal and frequently see Mallard ducks, Mute Swans and even Tufted Ducks and think its "just a swan" or "just a duck" but get more excited when we see something a little more unusual. Maybe I am wrong but familiarity does often mean we take things for granted and  in doing so we can miss out on how special these birds are.

Take a look at the colours of the sleepy mallard's head and the lustrous sheen of its breast feathers, as it rests in the shade of a tree. It is nothing short of spectacular.

And how about the pure white feathers of the tufted duck contrasted with its shiny dark wing feathers, not to mention that impressive plume and the bold yellow eye. It is more than just a black and white duck it is beautiful and elegant.

Talking of elegance the mute swan is so serene as these three head shots show. They look majestic when they sail along a river with their wings curled round but they have really impressive features too and are worth a closer look.

So next time you are out for a walk, in the park or by a river or lake take not of the ducks and swans and appreciate what makes them special. They are not "just anything" they are a thing of beauty.

A Handsome Couple

This pair of Mallard ducks was seated on a wooden railing overlooking there mere and sheltering from the rain. They allowed me to get pretty close, their heads pretty much filling the full frame. The light was really poor and the ISO for these shots is 12,800, even so you have to agree these are pretty sharp. 

I think the female in the first image looks as though she is smiling, the drake on the other hand is like "what you looking at?"

In A Flap

This sequence of shots was captured on Saturday at Burton Mere. This handsome Mallard drake was having a bit of a wash and brush up and with a little patience I was able to freeze the moment in time.

It seems like a lot of effort to me but it is an essential part of keeping in tip top condition.

Can You Handle This Much Cute?

Tamron 150 - 600 mm

ISO 800  273 mm  F/10  1/320 sec

ISO 400  450 mm  F/6.3  1/320 sec

These little Mallard ducklings are so flippin' cute 

I wanted to say something about them but I am overwhelmed by cuteness so I will leave them to speak for themselves...

Oh So Cute...

This time of year is wonderful because you can see new life everywhere, as well as so much fresh greenery and lots of new flowers coming into bloom there are all sorts of new critters to be seen. 

The ducklings in today's selection were shot on a day out in Barlick (that's what the locals call Barnoldswick) in Lancashire. I had a really lovely walk along the canal and although I didn't get too many pictures there were one or two that really stood out. I absolutely love these little Mallard ducklings and I am particularly pleased with the clarity of the second image and I like the pose too. 

Ducks and Drakes

Although mallards are probably the most common ducks we will see in our parks and along our river banks but because we see them so often they are easily overlooked which is a shame because they are truly beautiful.  I am really pleased with the first of today's pictures, the clear image and the lovely reflection show this young female at her best.

I love the flash of colour in the cheeks of the drake in the final two pictures and the water droplets beading on its head is a nice detail. 

In A Flap

So these first three shots are of Goosander, the first two being male and the third female. As part of their preening routine they scratched and rearranged their feathers and then shook them back into position.  I like the  diamond pattern in the first picture, formed by the outstretched wings and the dark feathers of the birds' back.

In comparison to the males the female in the third picture was much more calm and serene. I like the chocolate brown plumage of the head with the white bib which almost looks like a smile.

I took this final shot because it struck me as funny how all four ducks buried their heads at the same time, as if they were camera shy.  Can you come up with a suitable caption for this picture?  if so leave a comment...

And A Robin For Luck

I have been so frustrated recently because it is about five weeks since I was able to get out at a weekend to take some photos and when I saw the weather forecast for today I thought it would be another washout.  However I decided that I would head off to Mere Sands Wood and if the weather turned nasty at least I could take shelter in the hides.

I had hoped to get some pictures of some of our winter visitors however I was told by the warden that due to the unseasonably warm weather the usual migrant species from Scandinavia and the Arctic haven't turned up yet (if they do at all) and so there wasn't very much in the way of bird life and waterfowl to see.

Undeterred I walked around the quiet woodland and had a really lovely day. The light was really poor so getting good shots was a challenge, as you can see from the first two images I had to use a high ISO (10,000) and the resulting images are a bit grainy.  I was however pleased to get the shot of the Grey Heron just as it landed and you can see its wings extended to slow it down and the feathers along the leading edge of its wings extended further to act as air brakes.

The third picture is of a male Goosander, there is not a lot of detail in this picture but I like the reflection and the sense of motion created by the ripples in its wake.

The final picture is my first photo of a Robin this winter, I know that everyone loves Robins so thought I would add it to my blog for today.

I had a great day out, it was peaceful and quiet and although I did have to take shelter against a really heavy downpour I was happy.

Watery Fowls

The theme for my posts recently has been watery to say the least with boats and ripples and reflections and today it continues with a couple of water birds and a reference to a famous comedy show from the 1970's, if you spot the reference leave a comment...

The first picture is a Redshank, captured down on the Dee Estuary.

If you saw my blog yesterday you might recognise the second picture as the big reveal of the mystery reflection.  Yes it's a Mallard Drake its not the sharpest picture but when I took it I was more interested in the motion and reflection.