Raft of ducks

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Raft of ducks

January 19, 2021 by Mike Powell

There was a huge raft of assorted ducks in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge early last Wednesday morning. The ducks were so far away that I could not identify individual species, but suspect that there were scaups, buffleheads, ruddy ducks and others.

I merged eight separate images in Photoshop in order to create this wide panoramic image. The process is mostly automated and I think the software did a pretty good job in producing an image that lets you see and appreciate the view I had that morning and the mood of those moments. I am not sure how well WordPress will handle a panoramic shot, but encourage you to click on the image to see more of the details.

Posted in Birds, Landscape, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Canon 50D, ducks, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, raft of ducks, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA | 19 Comments

19 Responses

on January 19, 2021 at 7:48 am | Reply Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography

Nice use of the panorama format. Scenes like this are why we all go out there 😀😀
- on January 19, 2021 at 8:55 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Ted. As you have probably noticed, most of the time I am predisposed to take close-up shots, but sometimes it’s nice to get a wider view, or in this case a really wide view.
on January 19, 2021 at 7:54 am | Reply Steve Gingold

I think this calls for a contest. Nearer to the right number of ducks gets a jar full of the same number of jelly beans. 🙂
- on January 19, 2021 at 8:56 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I love jelly beans, Steve, and would love to win that number of them.
on January 19, 2021 at 7:55 am | Reply Louella Lester

Great shot!
- on January 19, 2021 at 8:56 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Louella.
on January 19, 2021 at 8:35 am | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice Panorama Mike! Panoramas are fun to do & Photoshop makes it easier to do! Photoshop usually does a good job blending but once in a while there are a few touch-ups to do.
- on January 20, 2021 at 10:42 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Reed. I was actually thinking of you when I took the series of shots and merged them in Photoshop. You do such a wonderful job in doing panoramic shots with your camera and also your iPhone that it made me consider trying it myself.
on January 19, 2021 at 8:57 am | Reply David Thrift 📷 👋 🇺🇸

Very cool photo. That’s a lot of ducks!
on January 19, 2021 at 9:08 am | Reply picpholio

Wauw ! Very impressive.
on January 19, 2021 at 10:46 am | Reply Mitzy Bricker

Man, Mike, that is sure cool. The mood is just terrific! Thank you for sharing!

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on January 19, 2021 at 11:33 am | Reply Dan Antion

Great image, Mike.
on January 19, 2021 at 5:36 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Love these simple but effective shots. If really show the extent of the raft. We sometimes sail through rafts of shearwaters… Amazing sight!
- on January 20, 2021 at 10:15 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris. Living on the water, I suspect you are more used to large gatherings of birds than I am. I must confess that I had no idea what a shearwater is, but Google is my friend. 🙂
on January 20, 2021 at 8:20 am | Reply Patricia M Osborne

Amazing.
on January 20, 2021 at 7:28 pm | Reply Leo Chiasson

I am Unimpressed!
- on January 20, 2021 at 7:46 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for your feedback, Leo.
on January 24, 2021 at 3:09 pm | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Very slick! Reminds me of seeing the migration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska. Too hard to capture the actual experience!
- on January 24, 2021 at 4:06 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I have always wanted to see Sandhill Cranes, especially in migration, but have not yet had a chance to do so.