Black-bellied Whistling Ducks landing sequence

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Photos taken November 12 2021 at the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. The refuge is part of a complex created to support, protect, and provide winter habitat for migratory waterfowl. It seemed to have received little damage from the series of hurricanes that made landfall in LA during the last hurricane season. As the name implies, the birds generate a clear whistling call.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (LA) - November 12 2021

The 4 photos were taken with an Olympus E-M1X camera and a 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens The built-in 1.4x tc was activated and shots were taken handheld @ 500mm, 1/3200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600. Click on the image to see a slightly larger view.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (LA) - November 12 2021

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (LA) - November 12 2021

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (LA) - November 12 2021

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.