Male Tufted Duck.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday with a few recent shots of a male Tufted Duck.

Female Tufted Duck.

Most ducks usually head for the safety of the water if you get too close but this female Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) decided the lens wasn't a real threat.

She constantly kept her beady little yellow eye on the 'watcher'.

For a brief moment some action on the water caught her attention but she very quickly settled down again.

All images taken handheld with the 450D and 70-300mm lens. FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters, Saturday's Critters and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.

Comparing Tufties.

A male Tufted Duck. The above image was shot with my trusty old 70-300mm zoom kit lens at the beginning of April and below, by way of comparison, another individual taken with my recently upgraded 70-300mm 'L' series lens at the end of April at the same location.

While you are reading this post I'll probably be trying to say something like .... "Dove posso fotografare alcune anatre?"  But will I understand the answer ..... FAB.

N.B. This is a scheduled post so I'll catch up sometime next week.

Tufties.

For the second year running I have logged Tufted Ducks on the pond on my local patch but this is the first season that I have noted successful breeding. For many weeks there were five or six males but only one female! These images were taken last month but I haven't seen them since .... so who knows where they are now.   FAB.

Linking up to 'I'D-Rather-B-Birdin',  Camera Critters and Wild Bird Wednesday.

Shoveler and Tufted Up Close.

Male Shoveler (Anas clypeata).

[ F/18; 1/80; ISO 400 @ 95mm ]

Female Tufted (Anthya fuligula).

[ F/13; 1/200; ISO 400 @ 190mm ]

Splash n Dash.

A male Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) in a racing hurry across the water. Taken during a photo session at a local pond today. ISO 400; F8: 1/1000; @ 140mm and cropped.    FAB.

For more WATERY WEDNESDAY images, please follow this link. 

Eyes Left.

Female Tufted Duck gave me the eye during a stroll alongside the River Thames today.  For a few more images click here.   FAB.