After yesterday’s exertions I did not feel like going very far at all; like this mallard, I was content just to sit and watch the world go by, to be honest. (And tomorrow won’t be much different.)
On another dull day, in all respects, the waterfowl of Hebden Bridge once again save things photographically. As I’ve said on here before, I do like mallards, they seem quite an agreeable species. The duck to the far right definitely looks smug about something.
This canal — and its birdlife — have featured once before, in Slaithwaite. But whereas that’s a fairly rural spot, this picture was taken in the midst of the industry of Huddersfield itself. Still, it delivered a mallard so superbly lit it might have employed a Hollywood lighting director, which graciously posed in the midst of slurping up the nearby vegetation.
This mallard and I were both watching the world go by, above the Hebden Water on this Sunday afternoon…. the first real bite of autumn, I think. Wonder what he thinks about it all.
One thing I haven’t done with the stats yet is count up the number of photos accounted for by different types of animal. I suspect that over the last 1,953 days, ducks will win, probably just ahead of dogs. Why? Because Hebden Bridge has plenty of them, and look — they’re basically photogenic.
Ducks are always good models, well-coloured and they don’t really mind people sticking cameras in their faces. Mind you, this one was turned the other way until it zipped round and had a dabble in its wing, for cleaning purposes. Looks like it’s sweeping a cape across its face — ‘The Shadow knows?’. Before your time? Before mine, for sure.
On quiet days spent working at home, at least the ducks down by the river in town usually provide a photo opportunity. This one gave it up for the camera but definitely was after something in return, like food, mainly.
As a contrast to the fighting poultry of a few days ago, here, a much more serene couple. Little to see today, a second day in a row spent mostly working at home with grey light — declining daylight and a longish zoom account for this shot’s lack of focus.
Pictured on the Hebden Water this afternoon. A sunny day but a damn cold one, certainly the coldest so far in 2014.
Being 42 