Male, Mallard

One of the most common ducks around, Mallards are often passed by birders over as being unremarkable, particularly in urban environments where the birds can be quite tame. For a photographer however, the glossy green head of the male in full breeding plumage is hard to resist. Besides being photogenic they are also charismatic, almost possessing an enigmatic smile which is fun to try and capture in a photograph.

Try to catch the glossy sheen as the bird turns it's head; choosing the lighting and background which will bring the details while at the same time compensating for the high contrast in the bird's plumage is a real education and not too easy a task. Fortunately and possibly the best part of digital photography is the cost of a single image is close to zero so filling several Flash cards with images just to see the differences as the light changes does not break the bank.

Though I have only been taking photographs for a couple of years I am starting to understand that taking good shorebird photographs is really about capturing the colours and reflection of light in the water and if the bird just happens to pose correctly then that is only a bonus.