Mother and duckling

Papango; Black Teal; New Zealand Scaup; Aythya novaeseelandiae. Four names for a small bird to carry.

After finishing work today, I ran to Western Springs Lake in search of new birds. Got photos of a few birds that I have not previously this year photographed.

However, I chose this one, despite its deficiencies, and the fact that I have already blipped the papango. The duckling is perhaps a little overexposed, and the duck is definitely underexposed. My amateur attempts to correct it worsened the one for little gain in the other. I looked at a crop, and decided that I like the patterns and shapes in the water. So this is as the camera recorded it.

I know this is a duck (therefore the mother) because when I referred to the information I posted a month ago when I blipped a drake, it describes the adult female as chocolate brown with a grey bill, and a brown iris. Look here to see an adult drake. Not the smallest of ducklings, it still has very downy feathers.

Around Western Springs Lake there is great activity at present. On Saturday and Sunday the Pasifika Festival, an annual event with free entry, will be held here. There are many presentations of Pacific culture, and lots of products for sale. We are staying in Ackland this weekend (somewhat by chance) and I hope to meet up withserpentine (in New Zealand after her long Indian trip), as well as spend some time at the festival.