Sunday, January 1, 2012

Common Pochard, Tafelente, Aythya ferina

Seen in Germany (Laacher See, Rheinland-Pfalz) in Nov 2011.
Checking through the photos this Lifer caught me a bit by surprise.
I was shooting from quite a distance, hoping to get some IDs on the waterfowl.
Most I could tell were Coots, some Tufted Duck and some Great Crested Grebe. This guys just now caught my eye. I love surprises :-)

The one in the middle (all grey, brown head) is the male and the others are female.
From Birds Germany 2011

And here's a close crop of the male. Not good quality, but oh well,...


From Birds Germany 2011


7 comments:

  1. What a nice way to find a new bird. I use my photos the same way - take lots of the same birds especially when they are moving around and then go home and search through the photos for whatever I haven't seen in real time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A great find Nicole, Happy New Year :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Always good to get a lifer; especially like that.
    Nice one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. sometimes a record shot is all you get, but at least you get to see them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a lifer! ANd the photo is fine. (And you don't HAVE to get a photo at all after all to enjoy a bird). But I'm very glad you did get photo of this charmer.

    Happy New Year!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh, there they are. :) I miss them, take good care of them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks all!

    @Mick - that's why 'Pro' birders always look at me strangely. I rather have them on camera than just watch and dunno what I saw :-D

    @Sallie - I would have never known what I saw, if not for the photo :)

    @NatureFootstep - They should be safe there. It's a protected area and a beautiful one at that :)

    ReplyDelete