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I'd just got my new toy (70-200VR) and happened to be in Ballarat on conference when I decided to try it out on Lake Wendouree. Shooting birds was challenging at 200mm in the morning light on an overcast day. I was getting discouraged when I spotted something coming at me from under the water.

When it surfaced I was still looking through the viewfinder and initially because it was black and slick, I thought there was some sort of crocodile (absurd I know). I was a little taken aback by this thing that was swimming just beneath the water. After re focussing and waiting for this thing to beach itself I found it was actually an unusual bird (I'm told a musk duck).

It actually was relaxed at my presence, and I was able to take a few shots before it swam away in a more ducklike manner.

That first pic is hilarious! Talk about trying to go "in cognito".

It is indeed a musk duck - and most likely a male one ... the females do have a similar flap of skin under their beak, but it is much much smaller.

Hi JZA70-mel,

consider yourself very lucky
We had a male musk duck in the Tidbinbilla nature reserve,
but it passed away during the bush fires
It was a killer
It was kept seperate from his girl friend because he would have killed her
after mating
He always had a go at the ranger during feeding time.

Cheers,
CD

That's one ugly bird. Yeesh!!!!

Here are more aesthetic subjects taken at the same time




Bow down to the awesome power of the 70-200VR !!!!

Melvyn