Ducks Flapping Their Wings

I am a keen and sometimes over keen wildlife photographer, but my passion and amusement really lies with water birds, ducks especially.

Such underrated and gorgeous little creatures.

This shot is one of the best I have ever seen of a Tufted flapping it's wings.

I know from experience and the hours of getting a numb backside sitting at the waters edge waiting, that they rarely flap even after a long preening session, and when they do they don't do it for long!

Blink and you will miss them.

Where a normal duck stays in flappy mode for a good minute, Tufted's are up, flap once or twice and than settle back down into the water as if nothing had ever happened.

That is one of the many reasons I chose this shot as my first place.

That and the slight hint of the purple oil on water you've managed to capture in his head markings. Such amazing colours when caught in the right light, but hard to bring out on camera.

The beautiful and delicate detail that's in this photo highlights just how gorgeous of a bird the Tufted Duck is, but so often they are only given a cursory glance whilst the more flashy birds on the pond are sort after and hunted out for their brilliant white, or gossamer black silhouettes.

This truly is a wonderful image. Congratulations on not only the 1st place, but managing to grab such an amazing shot - I do hope when you did, you whooped a bit, because I know I have whenever my patience has been rewarded with a shot like this.

Thank you for entering.

I will be honest - when this picture popped up on my desktop during judging, I gasped out loud.

How amazingly striking is this bird?!

What wonderful colours/hues, and captured so well. I can see the shine on his head/face markings and beak.

So often these kinds of colours are lost in translation from the moment the picture was snapped in just the right light, to when you look at it during editing and are disappointed that it didn't quite do the creature the justice it deserved.

Not so here.

The tantalizing flash of the same brilliant blue on the topside of his wings is just breathtaking as well.

Thank you for entering, this truly did make my day, and make me wish I lived closer to a place where these awesome ducks were common place.

Wow!

Just wow!

This is exactly what I meant when I said, "interesting markings that are usually hidden", because just look at the metallic multi-coloured head/face markings here, which you have captured amazingly.

The soft smooth chocolatey brown colour of the breast and neck markings are so well defined, feather by feather.

Speaking of feathers - this ducks wings were made for being photographed, weren't they?

Honestly, such a beautiful capture. Thank you so much for entering.

It is HARD WORK to get three birds in flight all in the right lighting and correct focus. The depth of field on this shot is excellent, and way in which you've managed to snag them all in the sideways formation is wonderful.

A duck in flight is bloody difficult to grab. Their markings mean no matter how you attempt to focus your lens, one bird is usually always completely out of focus.

Not so here, and what a treat to see.

Thank you so much for entering.

Not only are the speckled/mottled flecks of brown and black fading into beige and an almost caramel like colour so gorgeous on this ducks breast, but she is perfectly captured at the moment where she looks the most beautiful and balletic.

Her reflection in the water reminds me of an MC Escher painting. Wholly recognisable as what it is, but still something of the abstract about it.

Thank you so much for entering, she is truly gorgeous.

The surrounding water and it's soft light blue and grey scale shades really compliment this duck and his show-off moment of fame in front of the lens.

The duck himself is gorgeously coloured and marked. I do so love seeing those amazing purple through to turquoise colours of the feathers usually completely obscured from view unless they are have a cobweb clearing moment.

It almost looks as if the duck is pointing his wing tips in preparation for some kind of ballet dance move, doesn't it?

Beautifully captured. Thank you for entering.

Muscovy ducks are big ol' tanks of birds. They aren't the most athletic of beasts because it takes a huge amount of power to get them up and out of the water having a good old fashioned flap.

I've spent many an hour at one of my local ponds hoping my patience will be rewarded with a moment such as this to captured and keep, and alas I have been thwarted and disappointed every time.

I've seen it, I just haven't been able to capture it ;)

Seeing this bird in full on flap mode is such a treat - look at the power in his wings, it's almost as if I can feel the wind rush past my face as he brings them in front of himself to complete the dance move.

The light shining through his white wings really pics out every individual feather, doesn't it?

Wonderfully captured. Thank you so much for entering.