Reflections

Five minutes after photographing the male by himself, a female (on the right) joined him and they quietly worked their way back into an area that I couldn't see. This image shows the difference between the male and female. Earlier this year the males were considerably more colorful (please see my wood duck photo from June 5th), but they are now in their "eclipse" stage, having lost considerably more colorful plumage used to attract a mate and breed. During this eclipse period they also become flightless until they grow new wing feathers. Toning down their plumage helps protect them from predators during this vulnerable part of the summer, which in part also explains why they are currently so reclusive.

Nikon D7000 DSLR, Cambron 500mm lens, f/7.1, 1/3200 second, ISO 3200

Sharpened