If things don’t work out as you may have hoped for during a photo shoot in the Great Outdoors, and for example the species you may see only for a relative short period of time while migrating stay out of your way, don’t hesitate to work with the “locals”, the birds you can always have in front of your camera. I’m not advocating to make another picture of a pair, swimming peacefully side by side, but looking out for an image that tells a story about their life or the specifics of the season I think is still desirable.
Last Sunday I saw a lot of migrators, Buffleheads, Gadwalls, Ring-necked Ducks, and Mergansers, but none of them came into a range that allowed me to make a serious effort for a photo. I’m sure that most of the Mallards we can see here at the moment by the thousands will migrate further north but some are here all the time and many people don’t even look at them. The difference to other times of the year is that mating time is approaching fast and their plumage is at its best at the moment. Combine this with the quality of light in late winter or early spring and you have best conditions to make a photo that sticks.
The lady was holding her breath, she really remained in this position for a few seconds, while the boys were fighting for the grounds. Don’t tell me Mallards are boring just because there are so many…😉