The last month or so I have been keeping an eye on a couple of female Hooded Merganser ducks that are using a nesting box at my local marshland park. One of my fellow photographers has already posted a photo of one of them, surrounded by a dozen or so cute little ducklings, so I may have missed one of the moments that I was hoping to catch.
A little earlier this month, though, I had a special moment with one of them, when I arrived at the park early in the morning, just after the sun had risen. The small female duck was more out in the open than usual, though she was still pretty far away. Initially she seemed to be taking a bath, as she stuck her head under water and would shake a little. Eventually she climbed out of the water onto a log and began to groom herself.
The light at that moment from the back and the side made the spiky reddish-blond hair on her head glow and also created a nice reflection in the water. She seemed unhurried and unafraid as she basked in the beautiful early morning light.
For at least a moment, the two of us were freed from the cares of our everyday lives.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I love it when that happens. I think one of the best things about nature observation is how it can take you out of yourself at times.
Amen to that (especially when you live in a busy urban area like I do)
Getting that connection is a marvelous feeling.