Common Merganser Drake at Sunset

[Bill Dix]

I went back into my files and came across this one that I hadn't processed before. It's the drake to go with the hen of my previous post, taken just at sunset on a partially frozen lake last January. Don't know if this works with the oof hen, but I chose to leave her in. Hopefully this group will come back to the lake this year, maybe soon? I'll be waiting. (But it's been too warm here. These two shots were taken at a time when much of the lake was frozen, leaving just an open patch below the inflow of a river. When the lake is fully ice-free the mergs are usually well out of reach.)

D7000, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 800, 1/1250s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Karl Egressy]

I think I like this one better than your previous post of this species, Bill.
The light is just as magical and the wing and body position is better.
Excellent shot.

[Loi Nguyen]

Bill, the light is just awesome. I think your choice of leaving the OOF hen in is a good choice. It helps balancing the drake. Wish that it is a bit closer to the plane of the drake and thus more in focus though. Loi

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Bill, exquisite light, and I like the incoming pose. Due to the late light, I presume the colours are more saturated than his normal colours, but I quite like this as is. ( maybe because Im not familiar with the colours of this species ) Im fine with leaving the hen in the image.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Lovely shot Bill, the juxtaposition of the hen is excellent. Beautiful light and I like the overall composition.

[Bill Dix]

Thank you all. Stu, the peachy hue is certainly the result of the sunset light. The Merganser's breast usually looks almost white in full daylight, but does have a bit of creamy color which is exaggerated here because of the light. The drakes bill and feet are normally pretty bright orange in full daylight, but the camera does sometimes exaggerate the reds and yellows. What is lost here is a dark green sheen sometimes visible in the head. I neither saturated nor unsaturated anything in PP.