The early part of the day was beautiful. Clear skies, and the sun rising over the South Downs. It's the best part of the day at this time of year, and the cormorant was around giving me a chance to improve substantially on yesterday's efforts.
That branch he's on came crashing down as he took off. I missed the shot, but that's the second time in a few days it's happened. The cormorant did several circuits of the pond providing more opportunities to play with light.
Into the sun… 
Against an impossibly dark backdrop, but with the sun just catching the detail…
And finally a silhouette.
By lunchtime the good light was gone, as was the cormorant. The moorhens are getting frisky though, and the pond was littered with mini duels as they sort out their pecking order. 
The final shot for today isn't much more than a snapshot, but the little grouping amused me. I think these are what are known as Indian Runners, though underneath all the strange posture they are essentially mallards. The pale ones are regulars at the pond, but I'd not seen the black one previously (though he could well have been lurking unnoticed). Anyway, they looked silly enough to photograph.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
gdare
3 Dec 2011😆 😆
Were those ducks watching the moorhen's ultimate fight?
derWandersmann
3 Dec 2011The red spot on the tail of the moorhen?
I reckon that tree must be pretty rotten by now … that's a pretty stout-looking limb.
Nice shots!
wellisteffi
3 Dec 2011Great pictures. :up:
I love the 3rd shot.
Words
3 Dec 2011dW, the red spot is actually another moorhen in the distance. It had me fooled for a moment as well.
Either the tree is rotten or the cormorant is much heavier than it looks!
Words
3 Dec 2011Erwin, thanks!
Words
3 Dec 2011Steffi, thanks. I've re-edited the third shot since I posted to bring out a bit more light.
Words
3 Dec 2011Darko, actually I think they were!
serola
4 Dec 2011Excellent shots and editing
derWandersmann
4 Dec 2011The re-edit is much mo' bettah, Words! I liked it before, but now it's perfect.
That business with the red spot … what a wild coincidence! It's funny! If you were putting these into a magazine, you'd have to show the sequence, or take the spot out. Or you'd find your name attached to a rare new subspecies.
studio41
5 Dec 2011the second bill/beak is illuminated as if bronzed or golden. did you find the golden bird?!
some great action shots!
Words
5 Dec 2011dW, yes it looks better lightened, and I desaturated the beak to give it some light./contrast. As for the red spot we could have named the new species the Mars-hen.
Words
5 Dec 2011Jill, the second edit is cheating a bit as the light was on the other side of the bird and there is no way the bill would be illuminated in real life. But it does make for a better picture 😉
Words
5 Dec 2011Sami, thanks! It was a better edit the second time round.
derWandersmann
6 Dec 2011Tell everyone that the beak is translucent.
studio41
6 Dec 2011Originally posted by Words:
🙂
Originally posted by derWandersmann:
so would the light manifest somehow some days?
cakkleberrylane
6 Dec 2011Great shots. I've never seen moorehens acting like that before. You're doing such great things with light!
Mickeyjoe-Irl
6 Dec 2011Originally posted by Words:
With a bit of penguin mixed in? 😀
Words
6 Dec 2011Mick, there's a thought! They are very comical looking birds.
Words
6 Dec 2011Lois, moorhens are the mini-pugilists of the pond birds. For the next few months they'll be knocking seven bells out of each other as they decide who is the king of the pond! :king: Great to watch!
Words
6 Dec 2011Jill, the only way to get that shot is to cheat, unfortunately…. or move to a planet with two suns :alien:
Words
6 Dec 2011Originally posted by derWandersmann:
Hmmm… I suppose I could try to get away with that :whistle:
studio41
7 Dec 2011😎
SittingFox
7 Dec 2011The "into the sun" cormorant shot is great :up: I'm surprised moorhens can kick anything with those huge clumsy feet!
Words
8 Dec 2011Adele, thanks! I was pleased with the cormorant (the second edit is better). The moorhens are definitely the Crazy Gang of the pond. Mad as hatters most of the time. I think it's a complex they develop from being such ugly babies.
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Interesting Pict set