Amidst the mallards

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Amidst the mallards

January 25, 2015 by Mike Powell

On Friday, as I was walking toward a group of ducks, I saw a flash of white, a white that was brighter than that of a mallard duck. In the midst of the mallards, there was a couple of Northern Pintail ducks (Anas acuta) and I managed to get this shot of the male.

Before he swam away, the duck extended his neck and looked all around. I was amazed to see how long his neck was—it appeared to be almost as long as a goose’s neck.

Once again, I was reminded of the value in closely examining a group of birds. Others might have passed by the group of common ducks without bothering to notice this beautiful Northern Pintail amidst the mallards.

Posted in Art, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Anas acuta, Canon 50D, Huntley Meadows Park, Northern Pintail, Northern Pintail Duck, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 11 Comments

11 Responses

on January 25, 2015 at 8:13 am | Reply Victor Rakmil

Never seen one of these. Great shots.
on January 25, 2015 at 8:21 am | Reply Sue

Beautiful photos, Mike. Aren’t they a handsome duck? I’ve never seen one doing the neck stretch to appreciate how long their neck is.
on January 25, 2015 at 9:29 am | Reply Mjollnir

Very nice duck. Apparently we get them here in Norway but I’ve yet to see one.
on January 25, 2015 at 9:37 am | Reply Dan Antion

Great pictures. Also like the duck-belly-reflection 🙂
on January 25, 2015 at 9:46 am | Reply Dan Traun

Pintails are such gorgeous ducks. Great shots.
on January 25, 2015 at 10:32 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

That’s a nice looking duck!
on January 26, 2015 at 6:29 am | Reply centralohionature

Beautiful shot of a beautiful bird!
on January 26, 2015 at 11:22 pm | Reply Lyle Krahn

That is an impressive extension!
- on January 27, 2015 at 1:29 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  It sometimes helps to stick your neck out, though I am generally cautious.
on January 28, 2015 at 9:23 am | Reply Jet Eliot

The pintail is one of my favorite ducks, for its elegance is unbeatable. Your top photo is also unbeatable Michael. Really great. 😀
- on January 29, 2015 at 5:14 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Jet. Normally I am drawn to the “louder” look of Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers, but the understated elegance of the pintail is tough to top.