After the Gyrfalcon last Sunday we checked out a couple of the local ports..................
In the first one there were several Black Scoter..............
The males were displaying and they seemed to be harrassing a female with some vigour..........I tried to get some shots but couldn't get any keepers: scoter group sex/gang rape just involves lots of diving and splashing.
In the next harbour were 10 or so Black Necked Grebe, they were in various stages of moult.
Usually this species is rather common at this time of year but they have been rather scarce in 2014.
That seems to be typical of a lot of duck's mating behaviour! The red yes of the grebe's are quite startling!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Karen. Ducks don't do subtle I guess.
DeleteYou always get such good shots of both species. I find the male scoterd extremely difficult to photograph. The completely black plumage makes it so hard to get the right exposure.
ReplyDeleteHi Ayuwat, slowish shutter speed, highish ISO and wide aperture...................plus a little post processing of course.
DeleteWe get dull wintering Black-necked Grebes here in HK, I think I'd have a fit if I saw one here in breeding plumage...
ReplyDeleteHi John, yes we get lots in winter too but most have gone by the time they moult.............
DeleteThere go a couple of species I just couldn't hope to photograph. Scoters at (distant) sea and Black-necked too scarce as you know.
ReplyDeleteHi Phil, I guess the UK doesn't have all the small fishing ports that Japan does. They generally attract a lot of birds esp in late winter/eraly spring.
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