Mallard in flight

I shot this mallard at an urban lake near my home in Dallas. There are a lot of mallards on the lake and I have had many opportunities to photograph them but this is one of my favorites because I managed to catch both the shiney green head and the blue of the speculum in the shot. You might have to look at the large version to see the blue because it is not as obvious as the green but it is definitely there. I have discovered that it is not easy to get both colors in the same shot. I think it depends on the wing position and the angle that the light hits the duck to make it happen. I also like the open bill. I guess he is quacking as he flies.

I have found that I really enjoy photographing all birds but ducks are one of my favorites. I think they are beautiful and the speed of their flying makes them a challenge to photograph. There are other ducks at the lake including both blue-wing and green-wing teal, wood ducks, shovelers, scaup and pintails but mallards are the most abundant by far.

Please check out the large version.

Nikon D300s with nikkor 200-400/f4 @ 400mm
1/2000 @ f5.6