![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/blue-winged-teal-1278b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"blue-winged-teal-1278b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nAt least I think it’s a Blue-winged Teal. I struggle with teal ID when they’re not in breeding plumage.<\/p>\n
When I’m at Bear River MBR I often try to get takeoff and flight shots of the various teal species but it isn’t easy. They’re fast little ducks and typically they either take off before I get my pickup stopped and the bird in my viewfinder or they don’t take off at all.<\/p>\n
But yesterday morning the tides turned in my favor.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n There were three Blue-winged Teals swimming together and all three took off a split-second before I locked focus on any of them. But somehow, after they were more than a foot off of the water, I got this one in focus for about a half dozen shots. In a couple of photos I actually had two of them in frame and sharp without cutting off any body parts. I ended up liking this photo best, despite the very bright phrag stems in the upper background.<\/p>\n Once again the Canon R5 deserves at least some of the credit for my success but I was cussing that damn camera earlier in the morning. More about that in a future post.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: Subscribers to Feathered Photography likely noticed that my post email looked a little ‘different’ this morning. Yup, once again I clicked the “Publish” button before I was ready to post. At least it’s been a while since I pulled that stupid stunt the last time.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At least I think it’s a Blue-winged Teal. I struggle with teal ID when they’re not in breeding plumage.<\/p>\n