Whio (blue duck) and chick

[gail bisson]

The target species for me for my trip to New Zealand was the threatened blue duck or whio ( pronounced fio- all words that start with "wh" have a "f" sound in NZ ).
We arrived at the Tongariro Lodge and I immediately asked the receptionist where I could find blue ducks. She said there were pairs along the river but did not know where. It is a very long river. Anyway, I walked down to the river with all my gear and turned right and walked for 2 hours without seeing a single duck. Discouraged, I walked back to our cabin. Hubby was waiting for me with some awesome news- the receptionist's cousin was one of the leaders of the whio recovery program in Taupo and was picking me up in 30 minutes to take me to a whio family!!! He explained that thanks to the aggressive extermination of the introduced stoats in the area, the whio were making a comeback in Taupo.
Whio are torrent ducks and cruise the rapids. They need pristine fast water environments and are a bit like a canary in a coal mine. If the whio disappear, there is a problem with the river.
Thanks to "Bubs" I was able to get this images of one of my favorite ducks.
Canon 1 DX
600mm and 1.4X
ISO 1600 F 7.1 SS 1/640
PP-Crop to 70% FF, LR sliders, NR to BG.Cloned out an OOF rock in RLC.
Comments and critiques are always appreciated and learned from with thanks,
Gail

[Lorant Voros]

Looks like the adult is posing for you. Good body angle with both birds. Great that you got one of your target species and in this special manner. Congrats!

[Isaac Grant]

Sweet ducks and one that are high on my list to see. I have seen Torrent Ducks in SA many times. Love that you got the adult and baby together up on a rock and against that moving water. Both are nice and sharp as well. I would add a few points of black to the neutrals in selective color to deepen the birds a touch. I'd also probably clone out the white wash on the rocks. You can see signs of cloning on the lower right.

[gail bisson]

Thanks for the great suggestions Isaac. I was indeed sloppy with my cloning and have fixed the RLC and added 3 points of blacks to the neutrals. I cleaned up most of the whitewash although it didn't really bother me all that much!
Gail

[Joseph Przybyla]

Nice work, wonderful to see them both together. The feet look very much like the feet on a Coot. The original was good, the repost is better. Thank you for sharing, Gail.

[Arthur Morris]

Fabulously successful on all counts. Mazel tov. I love the sufficient d-o-f, the soft light, the slightly raised foot, and all the rest.

Who are what are the "Bubs"? Is this the drake or the hen or are they the same?

with love, artie

[gail bisson]

Hi Artie,
Bubs was the nickname of the Maori elder who took me to the location where this whio family lives.He and his uncle were the ones who started the Whio conservation program.
I assume you got my reply re: puffin location in Iceland?

Gail

Fabulously successful on all counts. Mazel tov. I love the sufficient d-o-f, the soft light, the slightly raised foot, and all the rest.

Who are what are the "Bubs"? Is this the drake or the hen or are they the same?

with love, artie

[Bill Dix]

Congratulations, Gail. Always a thrill to get a sought-after rarity. And you got it (them) beautifully, with great poses from adult and chick, and a nice setting. Repost brings it up a notch. Having an alert spouse, and a knowledgeable guide, can make all the difference.

[Geoffrey Montagu]

What a great find, Gail. I like the watchful pose of the parent, as the chick investigates. Nice partially raised foot of parent and the droplets of water cling to feathers, against the backdrop of the river.

Geoffrey




https://500px.com/geoffreymontagu

[Daniel Cadieux]

Great story to go with the excellent image. I do prefer the repost, including the whitewash removal. I especially like the raised foot and nice details throughout.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi Artie,
Bubs was the nickname of the Maori elder who took me to the location where this whio family lives.He and his uncle were the ones who started the Whio conservation program.
I assume you got my reply re: puffin location in Iceland?

Gail

Thanks on all counts. And huge thanks for the Iceland info. I received it and will be getting back to you soon with more questions :)

with love, artie

[Alex Becker]

Very nice Gail, having both birds is such a treat and the RP definitely helps especially the rock clean up. Water drops and BG are great. TFS

[Matt Shellenberg]

A very nice image, Gail. Congrats on capturing the species. Getting the chick makes it extra special. Great detail and I really like the composition.

[annmpacheco]

Well done Gail, and happy you were rewarded with this opportunity and with your handsome lifer image! I like the pose and watchful eye of the parent and the chick is such a bonus. I like Isaac's suggestions and the repost is a "wowsa"