Tag: morninglight

American Black Duck Ballet

Since professional ballerinas are usually strikingly tall and thin, it’s funny to see the rounded figure of a duck extending a leg back into a graceful arabesque.

#mallard, #ducks, #mallardduck, #pose, #leg, #female, #pair, #morninglight, #reflection, #lake, #florida, #naples, #nikon, #tamron, #wildlife, #birds
These American Black Ducks were active at dawn, swimming and mating and hanging out on the lake in Naples, Florida February 2020.

Both ducks are mottled with purple accent feathers on their wings. The male duck with the yellow beak swims on the left below. The female bill is mottled. Smart ducks, they winter near the coast. Their population has fallen, but they are found in the Eastern United States.

#mallard, #ducks, #lake, #color, #swimming, #pair, #female
The same two American Black Ducks in synchronized swimming. Naples FL February 2020.

Nature Photography Contest

Today I have submitted three photos to the Royal Poinciana Golf Club’s annual nature photography contest. All photos submitted to the contest must be taken on the grounds of the Club. Last year I won second place! My favorite submission this year is the morning light on the Great Blue Heron.

I photographed this Great Blue Heron around 7:15am on a Bird Tour at the Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
On a morning bird tour of the RP Golf Course, I also observed this female osprey landing on the nest, while her partner cries out.
My third submission shows a rare sighting on the golf course: two bobcats hissing at one another. The light was very low, and the long exposure reveals some motion blur. I was grateful to have seen them and taken a photo before they slipped away seconds later.

I will let you know if one of these images is a winner this year!