Merganser Photo Bomb

I was shooting photos of the Trumpeter Swans and was just about to pull the trigger on this shot when suddenly a couple female Merganser Ducks flashed across the frame. I reacted as fast as I could but was a little slow so I caught them further to the right side than I would have liked but I thought it was still unique enough to be worth sharing here. The camera focused on the ducks which I think was a good thing in this case. I also swung right a bit in my attempt to catch the ducks and got too much of the marsh grasses into the frame but it all happened in about a second so I was lucky to get anything at all!

Sony a6500, SEL200600G @ 600 mm, ISO-200, f/6.3, 1/3200, hand held.

If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
1 Like

Great shot, Gary. I actually like their position, because if you had got them much sooner, you wouldn’t have got the water splash trail behind them, which I think really adds to the scene.

This is really cool, Gary. I like the splash trails from the Mergansers. Your reactions are faster than mine-I’m pretty sure I’d have missed this entirely. A very nice scene and I do like the plane of focus.

Fun action shot. Great splash action.