Green-winged Teals (Anas crecca) are very small ducks and they are really skittish, but I managed to capture a photo of these three (and a mallard) yesterday shortly after they took off from the water. When they are in the water, you get only the slightest hint of the green on the wings (see my post from last year to see one Green-winged Teals at rest), but when they are flying, it’s easy to see why the got their name.
I went back and forth in my mind about whether or not to crop out the female mallard. Most people are familiar with mallards, so they can see how small the teals are by comparing them in the photo to the mallard. In addition, I like contrast between the green in wings of the teals and the blue in the wings of the mallard. However, the mallard is a bit far away from the three teals and there is nothing of visual interest in the center area of the photo. So I cropped a bit more and created the second image that eliminates the mallard.
Which version of the image works best for you?
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
For visual appeal I’d go with the second image and crop out the mallard. I have a lot of trouble getting good images of the Green-winged Teals. They always move to the far end of the marsh when they see me coming.
Thanks, Leslie. I have the same problem with them–it’s rare for me to get an identifiable snot the the Green-winged Teals, and wasn’t sure that I had gotten them this time/ I thought they were all mallards until I looked at them on my computer screen.
I like the first one, not necessarily better, but to me, it is more interesting and sharper.
Thanks for the input, Sue. The second one is the same image, just cropped tighter. I think that excessive cropping is what makes the second one look less sharp.
I like the first one too. As you say, it’s a good example of the different sizes of these ducks.
Thanks for taking the time to provide your thoughts. I love it when I am able to capture several species on a single frame, especially if they are interacting. In this case, they just happened to be taking off together. When some of them get spooked, it seems to set off a chain reaction among the rest of the birds and lots of them take to the air.