I am not sure if this crop works or not. I was able to come up on the two of them in the local sanctuary sitting on a bench in a shady area. I had to elimate the bench while taking photo and then cropped to taste while pp'n. 50D, 500mm at f/5.6, 1/250, EC-1/3, ISO400. Dave
Very nice color, sharpness, and exposure on the drake, Dave. As you say, you were in a tough situation comp-wise. Ideally, I think I would prefer to see the feet, but then the bench would also be visible. Bottom line - I guess the crop doesn't work that well for me - but other folks may have different thoughts. :)