This is only the second male Northern Pintail I've ever photographed, and by far the better looking of the two individuals (the other, although also in "mostly" breeding plumage was quite ratty). This one is pristinely perfect! They are not rare during migration up here, but rather unusual to see in the winter...and even when common they are always way too far in flooded fields to photograph. Having one so cooperative for close-up images is such a bonus (at least for us locally). Looks like a beautiful summer day, but in reality I was lying in the snow, with lots of ice in the water beyond the frame...
Canon 7DII + 500mm f/4 II, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/1000s., f/7.1, ISO 800, natural light, handheld, slight crop after 1 degree CW rotation, eye work.