Paradise Shelduck

NorthernFocus

I'm not sure this series really qualifies as "wildlife" photography but these ducks were so cool that I thought I'd share with others who haven't seen them. I thought the shelduck was one of the coolest birds we saw in New Zealand. Though they are ducks, these guys are more like geese in many ways. For one they sound like geese. Here's a link to an mp3 of their goose-like call. Secondly, like geese, they are very aggressive towards other birds, charging at them with head lowered and hissing. Third, like geese they mate for life. Another odd thing about them is that unlike most birds, the female is the more colorful of the pair. We saw these guys all over the country and every time we saw them they were in a pair. Never a single, never a flock, always male and female. We were there during breeding season so they may behave otherwise during different times of the year. Maybe a Kiwi reading this can help straighten out my "facts".

Though we saw many of them, they were very shy. I was only able to get close enough to one pair in the "wild" to get a photo. The remaining photos were taken in Hagley Park in Christchurch.

Shelduck mates on the beach near Cape Foulwind.


Drake (kind enough to display his wing colors for the camera)


Hen (looking kind of scruffy from preening just before the photo was taken)


Chick

Ric Grupe

Very cool indeed, Dan.

I like 'em all...but the chick with the dainty wildflowers is the most pleasing to me.

dlplumer

Nice series Dan

NorthernFocus

Thanks, guys. One baby duck looks a lot like the next but I just had to throw that shot in there. I noticed the chick messing around in the flowers and just shot a quick birst of the little guy while waiting for the parents to move into better lighting etc. Of course as far as my wife is concerned it's the best bird image I've ever captured.

Dennis Kaczor

Nice series Dan, love the colours in images 2 and 3 here.

NorthernFocus

Thanks for looking, Dennis. I liked those two shots because they show the wing colors. When the wings are folded you just barely get a hint of the color.