Wood Ducks on a Log

[Bill Dix]

Having inadvertently spooked all of the ducks on our first visit to this "new" pond on Monday afternoon, I went back at sunrise on Wednesday morning. I enshrouded myself and lowered tripod in QuikCamo and crawled through the bushes to the only open vantage point on this small pond, where I could see a number of adults and juvies. So far so good, I said to myself. Then I took several exposure-check shots, and the loud Nikon shutter sent some of them aloft, and the rest into the shadows on the far side. I sat quietly for an hour before they started to drift back in. They never got close, but a few hopped up onto this log. By this time the sun was raking in through gaps in the trees lining the pond, and one shaft fell on these guys. I had no control over sun angle, but the side light does bring out the plumage detail. The adult drakes, of course, are prized photo subjects when in breeding plumage. But these guys in eclipse plumage are handsome as well, IMO. In another month they should be showing some breeding plumage. Hopefully they'll stick around.

D7200, 500f4 + 1.4, ISO 1250, 1/1250s @ f/9 manual.

[Randy Stout]

Bill:

The woodies are very spooky in my area (Michigan) as well. I had one outing locally with Roy Van Loo where they tolerated us pretty well, but everywhere else they are gone in a shot if you start clicking!

The left birds head angle is perfect for this lighting, with a great eye. I like the feather on the ground between them, tells the molting story, and the soft background.

The whites on the left bird look as if they were overexposed and then brought back, but perhaps just from the molt.

Cheers

Randy

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Interesting that they are so shy. Our Aussie Wood Ducks (aka Maned Duck) can be incredibly tame in some places. While nowhere near as spectacular in plumage. Just the other day I had a whole family within 3 meters in a park. Wish yours were so cooperative.

Well handled mostly, except the very bright whites, which Randy also touched on.
I am a big fan of side-lit images (despite some folks loving and advocating the over the shoulder light angle)
The two HAs are great too, good they're both looking into the frame. Love the little feather in between them.
Hope they hang around and give you some wonderful breeding plumage opps.
Thanks for sharing.

[adrian dancy]

I might have wished for the birds close together but one has no control here. The breast on the LHS bird appears greyed out and recovered. It is not bad but not best either. The setting is lovely and the birds eyes are adorable.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks guys. Funny how it takes another pair of eyes to see what mine should have seen in the first place. Here's a repost in which I layered in a second RAW conversion of just the belly area, at -1.0 EV. Of course I could move the birds closer together, but this is how I found them.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Traditionally these guys have been quite skittish up here too, and most still are...but a few have become acclimated to human presence (and accompanying handouts) in some busier areas. This has been advantageous when photographing them :-) I like the non-breeding male duo. The repost addresses the whites nicely. I could see a version with the feather on the log, but I can see why you left it there too.

[Bill Dix]

I might have wished for the birds close together but one has no control here. The breast on the LHS bird appears greyed out and recovered. It is not bad but not best either. The setting is lovely and the birds eyes are adorable.

Adrian: Having just posted another Wood Duck image, and with a bit of time on my hands, I thought about your comment and decided to see what it would look like with the birds closer together. So the right hand bird politely moved over a bit to close the gap. (Daniel, I left the feather in.)