Spring is a busy time here in California. So many things going on but alas you can only be in one place at a time. I have been dividing my time between the wildflowers, the falcons, the avocets, and if I am lucky, the owls. Here is one from this morning that I thought would be appropriate for this weekly theme.
The avocets have some of the most interesting mating ritual. The female initiates the mating by lowering her neck close to the water. If the male is interested, then he will start going around her sprinkling her with water. After he is ready, he then jumps over the female to mate and then as he comes down, they cross their bills and walk a 180 degree turn.
This image was taken early in the morning when the sun had only risen for a few minutes and not all parts of the pond had been lit because of the terrain behind me. The wildflower blooms in California helped to give that golden glow in the pond. As always, all feedback are most welcomed.
Tech: D500, 700mm (500mm + 1.4x), f/7.1, 1/1000, ISO 1000.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
A very nice voyeuristic capture, Adhika! Good job with the exposure, great colors and just right DOF. The classic composition is perfect for this scene. Thank you for the description of the mating behavior. That always adds a lot of interest when viewing the image. The only thing I can suggest would be a little bit more sharpening after downsizing for the post. It would also be nice to see the specs for the shot.
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Adhika, this is a very pleasing capture of spring “activity”. The clarity and color coordination throughout the image look great. Thanks for your description of their mating activity, it must be very interesting to watch.
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Thanks @Gary_Minish and @Mark_Seaver. I will soon post a few more mating shots that would probably describe this behavior better. The avocets in their breeding plumage are some of my favorite birds to shoot. It’s always fun to spend time with them.
@Gary_Minish, I have added the shooting spec in the OP, thanks for the reminder! 
Great action and a lovely composition, Adhika. The still water and reflections really make this a special image.
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A great capture, Adhika, and beautifully photographed with perfect dof and a generous amount of space around the birds, which works very well in this case.
