For me the colors and varying textures of the water in this photo are almost as interesting as the birds.
1/6400, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I photographed this pair of Ruddy Ducks three days ago at Bear River MBR. The male on the right hasn’t yet developed his signature sky-blue bill but I see the bills of some males already beginning to turn and these birds have just a hint of blue on theirs.
For me the colors and varying textures of the water in this photo are almost as interesting as the birds. If I didn’t know better I might wonder if they were swimming in a narrow channel of open water surrounded by ice above and below, but that’s not the case – it’s all liquid water. The morning was foggy and deathly still so the water was about as undisturbed and mirror-like as I’ve seen. The water reflected the white from the fog behind and above the ducks, turning most of it into a featureless light grayish-blue and almost perfectly flat surface.
And through that featureless void swam the small group of ducks, disturbing the water around them into a much darker blue and ripply surface. There were more Ruddy Ducks in front of these two, swimming in the same direction, and it was those birds that initially created the disturbance on the water. I’ve deliberately cropped the photo to include the teeny tiny tail-tip of one of the leading ducks at the left edge of the frame as evidence of the source of the disturbance but you have to look carefully to see it.
Anyway, that’s what caught my eye about the photo. Your perception may be different.
Ron
Note:
In his 1926 book “A Natural History of Ducks” J. C. Phillips said of the Ruddy Duck:
“Its intimate habits, its stupidity, its curious nesting customs and ludicrous courtship performance place it in a niche by itself. Even its eggs are unique in appearance and are deposited in a slip-shod, irregular manner that is most extraordinary. Everything about this bird is interesting to the naturalist, but almost nothing about it is interesting to the sportsman.“
I’m wondering where the “stupidity” part came from. Anybody know? I can’t help but find it a little offensive.
Seething about calling a duck stupid. It is a painful reminder of the fate of dodo who was exterminated because of its friendliness and then of course was blamed for what happened.
I have not found them stupid, I will have to ask Haley her experiences with them at the Aviary. I do know everyone I know who has worked with them love they way they feel to hold. They are plump and just feel great, they fit in both hands when cupped.
I have run into the same hunter twice while walking the dikes at Farmington. He lives in Centerville. He gets mad at other hunters who shoot ducks to just shoot and leave the dead birds. He has his dog retrieve the dead ducks he finds and the hunter eats them. He said for the last several years he has not shot a single duck, just collected dead ducks he sees. He also helps wounded ducks. He has taken some to rehab, other ducks he knows can’t be saved he kills. He once had 4 dead ruddies when I ran into him, he found them. He was sad someone just killed them and left them, he said they were one of his favorite ducks. He said without hunting and fishing he would have a hard time feeding his family. He said he didn’t particularly like killing animals but even the meat purchased was once a live creature.
This is what hunting is or was about. Thanks for the reminder of the hunter who acts like a part of the world, not the king of it.
April, I don’t think there are many hunters like that guy left. More and more of them seem to be like that jerk in the red Dodge pickup.
Sounds like a man with his head on straight. Wish we had more sportspeople like him.
I was a little confused by “pair” and “pair bonding,” since these are both drakes. The hen has a dark cap, with a tan line and dark line under that.
I always eagerly await the drake’s transformation in the spring, with the electric blue bill and ruddy-colored body.
You’re right, Nanci. I didn’t even notice. I was so focused on other stuff in the image, and they look so different, I made an assumption I shouldn’t have. I’ll edit my text to make it less confusing.
I have to say that my feathers got a little ruffled as soon as I saw the “stupid” remark. I think it’s more of a “people who live in glass hunting blinds…” sort of thing.
This is a great shot for so many reasons. You know I am fond of any shot with interesting water in it. The teeny tiny tail tip teaser is terrific too!
Wishing you and all of your readers a happy holiday and wonderful year ahead. (And hoping the snow waits until you get your snowblower back — glad it’s repair-able.)
Thank you, Marty. I figured my snow blower was dead because it looked like there was gas in the oil. Thankfully that didn’t turn out to be the case – they say it’s only a problem with ‘dirty’ carburetor and that can be fixed.
“Stupidity” may come from old hunters terms. I’ve never hunted so I can’t atest to any of it habits related to hunting but I’ve read about these ducks in old (1880s) hunter’s articles. They indicate that Ruddy Ducks don’t taKe flight easily and are hard to shoot. The hard to shoot idea led to names like Hickory Head (hickory is a hard wood), Ironhead, and many other similar names. (I collected old colloquial names and found over 80 for Ruddy Duck). The information I found also indicates that most hunters don’t bother with them because the meat is not pleasant tasting as a result of their diet. An old publication from the Carolinas calls them Dickey because, according to one local hunter there, when they take off they just go dickey-dickey-dickey across the water.
Some interesting possibilities, Dan. Thanks for providing them.
What an interesting photo. Reminds me of those where the lens is half-in/half-out of the water.
As I understand it, until the late 1800’s the appreciation of birds by hunters pretty much consisted of seeing how many one could “bag”, and by the rest of humanity by eating them or decorating their hats with their feathers. The National Audubon Society evolved as a reaction to this indiscriminate slaughter. So, it may be that J.C. Phillips had one foot in modern times and the other in what we consider a brutal and inhumane one (although as I sit here I can hear the gunshots of duck hunters in the nearby harbor, the recent attempt to prohibit such being a story in itself).
I’ll bet it’s a story, Lyle. We had what may have been a similar story play out on the causeway to Antelope Island a few years ago. Back when there was actually enough water there for ducks.
Also, wonderful photo; I needed the explanation for the ‘optical illusion’ of the foreground water. Thank you for freshening my view of our world.
Thank you, Cheryl.
Yes, I suspect, given the time period and writer of the piece, that the bird is too “stupid” to be challenging prey, in the sense that others are. But I agree w/ Porcupine and others, of course.
You could be right, Cheryl. But I sure don’t find them to be easy to photograph.
I would tend to link stupidity (and arrogance and a few other despairing adjectives) with the ‘sportsmen’ rather than the naturalist and the bird. Very closely.
The optical illusion of the water is fascinating and a perfect foil for this very interesting bird.
Thank you.
Christmas has reached us here (though it has not yet dawned). I am sending my very best wishes to everyone who celebrates it. And to those who don’t.
Thanks, EC. I see your city is 64° F. right now, at something like 3 AM your time. Hope it doesn’t get too hot today.
Thanks Ron. It is expected to get hot, but not stinking. Fingers crossed.
Love the perspective on this shot. And a happy belated solstice to you and yours.
Porcupine said it perfectly…….
I like what Porcupine said too.
That is a neat photo of the Ruddy Ducks. I often take Duck photos as much for the reflections, color of the water, and the wake of the ducks etc. Would never have noticed that teeny tiny tip had you not mentioned it.
In a lake full of more exotic ducks and mergansers etc, I often find myself skipping over the Ruddies, but fortunately not always. I have never noticed anything about them that would cause me to call them stupid.
PS: Lots of rain here
Everett, the first time I processed the photo I left an even smaller part of the tail-tip in the frame. It was so small I was afraid nobody would be able to see it. So I reprocessed it and left just a little more.
Very interesting post and I’m glad the ruddy ducks are of no interest to hunters. They are one of my favorite water birds.
They’re pretty cute aren’t they, Betty.
The species can’t be too stupid if ” almost nothing about it is interesting to the sportsman.“ Methinks J C Phillips suffered from an excess of hubris. Thanks for all you do to make my days merry and bright Ron.
Thanks, Burrdoo. You may be right about his hubris.
The “stupidity” of this bird compares quite favorably with the “intelligence” of the humans who are rapidly destroying the entire ecosystem.
Very good point, Porcupine.
How very, very right you are Porcupine.
Exactly!
The what turned out to be flat water WAS a puzzle until I read. Interesting! Where in the world he would have gotten “it’s stupidity” speaks of a bit of arrogance to me….. 😉 They are a pretty duck – males in particular.
“Severe Thunderstorm” missed us last evening as did the snow squall warning. The former was VERY unusual for this time of year…. :O
Judy, that “stupid” remark was pretty stupid if you ask me. But then it was a different time back then…
What a peaceful image! I wonder if the comment about having nothing for the sportsman indicates that the duck doesn’t flush from the water, making him ‘stupid’ for just remaining there, too easy to shoot? I’d say that if he made himself uninteresting, that was smart!
That comment about what “sportsmen” think is also something I don’t understand, Mary. Maybe it’s because they think Ruddy Ducks are too small to bother with. I dunno….
I love seeing ruddies. You’re right. It does look like ice in front of behind the ducks. And it’s positively weird how warm this winter has been. You’ve at least had some good snow.
Thanks, Nancy. Yes, we had a good snowstorm recently but most of it has now been melted by warm temps and rain. But we’ve got more snow coming in immediately after Christmas so I mostly look forward to that.
I say “mostly” because my snow blower will be in the shop for repair for at least another week. It wouldn’t break my heart if the snow waited until after I got it back…