Adult Mallard drake in flight, Salt Lake County, UtahAdult Mallard drake in flight – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Mallards are probably one of the most recognized ducks in the world, they are found in tropical and subtropical areas of North, South and Central America, Eurasia, Europe and North Africa. They have been introduced to other countries in the world which has caused problems with native ducks hybridizing with mallards.

I have mentioned in past posts that if newbie bird photographers want to obtain better flight photos to practice on gulls because they are easily found and often take flight, the same could be said about mallard ducks only ducks in flight are usually a bit more challenging because they fly fast and and their flight can be erratic. They can and do test the skills of amateur and professional bird photographers.

A few days ago I noticed some ducks coming towards me in flight while at my local pond and I locked on to one of the mallard drakes and when he flew past I was able to take some nice photos of him before he landed on the water, this photo stood out the most to me. I really like the silvery tone of the water in the background and the eye contact I have with the duck.

I’m keeping my post simple this morning because not only did I go to sleep with a sinus headache I woke up with one too.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Mallard photos plus facts and information about this species.