Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Subject: Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
Place: Bosque del Apache NWR, NM, USA
Date: November 2002
Equipment: Nikon N90S, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (= 600/5.6), car window
Film: Fujichrome Sensia 100
Exposure: Aperture priority matrix metered
Scan: Minolta Dimage, 80% of frame

Commentary: I've never been able to get close enough to this species for a decent image before, and shooting from the car along the west edge of the Farm Loop at Bosque del Apache where these birds hang out requires too steep of a shooting angle for my tastes. On this visit I finally found a pair of pintails in a better location - a shallow pond along the first section of the Marsh Loop. It was a could and windy morning, and these birds were more concerned with the weather and each other than they were with my car and camera.

I like this image for the wild look that comes from the vegetation in the water, the rough surface from the wind, and the relationship between this male and female.