Wood Duck hen with duckling – Nikon D200, f8, 1/800, ISO 320, +0.3, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I had a different post in mind this morning but I woke with a headache so I am going to just do a short post.
Two years ago there was a Wood Duck family on a small pond near the entrance to Farmington Bay WMA and although I never saw the male, who doesn’t help to rear the young, there were a few times I saw the hen with her ducklings. Towards the end of summer duckweed shows up on many of the ponds at the WMA, it can be sparse or cover the entire surface of the water. On the day I photographed this Wood Duck hen with her duckling the duckweed covered the surface. Some people might not find the duckweed in the image attractive but I feel that it is what it is, a part of nature.
I hope I see some Wood Ducks again this year, I don’t have nearly enough of them in my portfolio.
Life is good.
Mia
I like the eye patch on the female. I have been to a couple of ponds covered in duck weed-they seem to like it.I have never yet seen a wood dduck , male or female. Some day…
I hope your headache is a thing of the past.
And I like the duckweed. And the ducks. Thank you.
There’s such an incredible difference between male and female ducks! Hard to believe they are the same species. I could hardly believe my eyes the first time saw one of the males. Our ducks ate the duckweed, so did the pollywogs Iand fish I raised so I like seeing it. Besides, it’s a very pretty, bright green….
Beautiful image, Mia. Love the Natural Setting.
Mia, I soo agree with you… Some photographer go for “the pretty picture,” but you, and I
agree that it is desirable to show our subject in the habitat where they are found. I see
that you were using a Nikon D200 for the shot, which is a very nice one… I still have my
D200, and even though I’ve upgraded through time, I hate to part with it. I figure to pass
it on to my daughter, Maia, later on this summer. Thanks for putting a smile on my face
this morning. I have a special fondness for Wood Ducks. ;-)))