Duck Quackers

Ducks splashing in the water.

Lately I’ve been finding myself photographing ducks a lot. Some might say that I’m quackers to be walking around lakes, getting down amongst the duck droppings. That may be true, but it's a small price to pay for quality entertainment. 

My photographs reflect the entertainment value of the ducks. As per usual, many of the shots are duck "bloopers," therefore not to be taken very seriously. This post is a recount of a recent expedition, which is typical of my duck chasing adventures. 

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An Afternoon at the Lake

From a distance I could hear the cacophony of quacks, getting louder and louder as I tiptoed quietly towards the water. Hundreds, or even thousands, of ducks were waddling around, pecking at each other or splashing in the lake. The smell was pungent. Despite the fowl* odour, I positioned myself close to the muddy ground, taking a punt on which way the ducks would jump first. One by one they jumped into the water, in all directions. I was too slow and missed them. I staggered to my feet, shoes covered in a brown mush of mud and freshly laid duck droppings. I followed the ducks to another side of the lake. 
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*fowl is a deliberate choice of spelling

Duck mayhem at the lake.

Ducks on the edge of the water.

As I snuck closer and closer, the ducks waddled calmly away. They did not even attempt to fly despite me following them. Clearly I'm not scary enough. Suddenly I heard some wings flapping and turned around just as one duck leapt into the water. I snapped with my camera and hoped for the best. Before I knew it, I had a good run of ducks leaping into the water. I managed to get quite a few shots, most of which were WTF (What the Fay) shots. Alternatively you might like to call them WTD (What the Duck) shots. Regardless of the choice of acronym, you have to agree that ducks look incredibly funny when they fly. 

Duck leaping into the water, closely watched by another.

Duck leaping into the water.

Leaping ducks.

WTF (What the Fay) is this?

As if the leaping wasn't entertaining enough, the ducks started splashing as soon as they entered the water. I watched a few dive below the surface before lifting themselves up and opening their wings. It was a spectacular show, the ducks looked like they were conducting an orchestra. 

Duck conducting an orchestra.

Duck conducting an orchestra.

My attention was diverted to another duck floating peacefully on the water. It twisted its neck around and looked like it was doing backstroke. I can assure you that the duck was ok. Moments later, it started splashing in the water, just like the other ducks. 

Duck doing backstroke.

Feeling content with the day's entertainment, I decided to pack up my camera and go home. It was going to take me a while to recover from the fowl odour, plus I wanted to remove the mud from my shoes while there was still light. I waved goodbye to the ducks, marching away to the sound of the quacking cacophony.