There is a really photogenic duck that hangs around the shoreline in this area called the Harlequin. The males have pronounced markings of black and white, with gorgeous shades of red and blue. I’ve observed them from the cabin through binoculars and they are stunning. A paddling of ducks was hanging out near the cabin this evening and I thought it was time to get a good picture with my trusty iPhone.
I slowly and calmly walked down to the beach with my phone out and the camera app all prepped and ready. I thought I could saunter in their direction and they would be so blissful, enjoying the golden hour and it’s near total stillness, that they would hold their collective pose long enough for me to get a clear picture. I believed I had a chance at a National Geographic quality picture, something destined to represent the Harlequin Duck in all it’s glory.
Unfortunately, the beaches on this shoreline are made up of round stones roughly the size of bowling balls. My saunter ended up looking more like a drunken totter over cobblestones in six-inch stilettos. The ducks, of course, would have none of it and gave me a horrified look before taking flight and heading for some quiet cove across the water. I was frantically taking pictures as I wobbled towards them, hoping that I might snag something through sheer luck. I need to either get a serious camera with an even more serious telephoto lense, or UP my stealth game at least 1000%.