Barn Swallow and Duck

[ChasMcRae]

Very windy day with gusts to 40mph at Quivara NWR,Ks. and attemping to shoot the swallows low over the water.
Perhaps would have preferred to have duck head upright ,but perhaps not since it implies it "ducked".
Actually happened so quickly I never really actually saw the whole scene.
Chas.

BarnSwallow(c)-Duck_Quivara__24427WR06.jpg
File size: 175KB
Camera Model: Canon EOS 40D
Camera serial number: 1120719490
Firmware: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
Date/Time: 2000:01:01 00:12:07
Shutter speed: 1/800 sec
Aperture: 8
Exposure mode: Av
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 400
Lens: EF600mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x
Focal length: 840mm
Image size: 800 x 562
Rotation: none
Color space: sRGB
Color profile: sRGB IEC61966-2.1

[Axel Hildebrandt]

It looks as if the swallow is yelling at the duck. I like the wing position and open beak of the swallow. The image needs a bit CCW rotation and I would sharpen the duck more and wish we could see the eye of the duck. I wish the swallow were not flying away. I could see this as a pano crop.

[Arthur Morris]

Certainly an interesting behavior image. It looks as if sharp focus is on the swallow; how the heck did you do that or is it an illusion?

[ChasMcRae]

Actually following the Swallow and shooting ! The duck just "happened" to show up. There is no way of knowing if swallow was reacting to the duck or just flared to catch some food !
Also the breast plumage was a puzzle with the spotted appearance. I first I thought it was not a real appearance but as I emphasized it it was obviously real. Perhaps a juvenile female changing to adult white breast ? Interesting to hear bird experts on this.

[Arthur Morris]

It would seem then that the swallow was in the center of the frame in the original capture?