Blip 300: Tufted Duck Iridescence

Back blip...

Well, here I am in the Alps and it turns out that the 'residence' does have Wifi. It is not fantastic, but I will try to keep up with my blips more or less, 'though I doubt I'll be able to comment much until I get home.

This is the photo that was pursuing before I spotted "Punk Duck" yesterday! Tufted ducks are one of my favourite ducks: I love their rounded-pebble shape and their cute tufts, and also the way that they dive for food. I love their ducklings, which also dive for food but have to jump up first in order to achieve enough downwards momentum to overcome their inherent buoyancy. One of my favourite things about them, though, is the males' beautiful but subtle iridescence: unless the light is just right they look black and white, but when the light is right their heads (and tails) are a wonderfully deep aubergine purple which changes to green as they turn. Their wing tips are a greeny-bronze colour which is even more elusive.
Look in large (please); I'm pleased with how this turned out.

This isn't a snazzy "300" blip, but it represents a lot that blip has given me: believe it or not, my fondness for waterfowl has really developed since blip! Before blip I was pleased to see birds but wasn't especially into them (I never would have gone out of my way to visit or photograph them). Now, not only will I go out of my way to visit birds (ha, really?!), but I've also been pursuing photographic goals more determinedly which feels very satisfying. I've been wanting to photograph this iridescence for ages, but have never quite caught it in a way that did it justice. This is still not at all ideal, but I'm glad that I persevered.
The background mallard's glowing head in the background made me choose this photo over a couple of similar alternatives; I also like the way that the bright sunlight is making the droplets also appear colourful (perhaps because of the underlying iridescent feathers).

I so appreciate all of the feedback I receive here, and thoroughly enjoy following others' journals and visiting new ones; I tend to frown when people use the word "community" in reference to an internet resource or site, but the community here really is fantastic, and I'm so glad to be part of it.