Juvenile Shoveler with different feather patterns, probably only for a short time. Interesting feeding habits, straining invertebrates through the huge bill.
1D MK IV EF500mm f/4L IS USM +1.4III 1/2000 5.6 320
This is really nice.
I,too, like the scalloped brown pattern in the breast feathers.
I am guessing you could not get any lower but still good as is.
I am OK with the environment. I might selectively "prune" or clone the occasional OOF grass in the BG just to tidy up a bit.
Leave enough grasses to look natural but delete a few to keep the eye on this very handsome drake.
The light has shown the green iridescence well.
Gail
Great IQ on the Shoveler, Doug, good light, and sharpness. I might crop just a tad off the top, which might help with the OOF grasses in the BG per Gail's comment. Nice!
Nice duck with a pretty good view of the large bill. Focus is good but to me the eye itself could use a tad more sharpening. I agree with cropping some from the top, and I would remove the brighter grass strand above the bill. Too bad about the object near the butt-end of the subject. Good colours, and the feather patterns look neat - I especially like the large feathers leading to the rusty flanks.