I just love the complimentary background colours with this dynamic crack-of-dawn duck shot.

Canopn 7D with the 500L f4 lens handheld @ 1/800, f4, ISO 400, +1 2/3 exposure compensation.

Formatted to my usual 8 x 16 frame for my next exhibit next month before it was optimised for web use. No fancy treatment - just a bit of background despeckling after sharpening.

The Snow Geese are beginning to arrive at Cap Tourmente nature reserve. For the moment, they are mostly the older single geese that arrive before the mass with their young. These older and single geese stay in the St. Lawrence River on the tidal banks.

When the families arrive shortly, the hungry young - grey in colour - will hopefully lead their parents into the fields for feeding - as they were used to in their breeding grounds.

It is here in the fields, with the crimson-coloured autumn cliffs as a background that the geese will provide the best photo opportunities.

The breeding season was great with a very high 29% increase of the flock!

Cheers,

Mike

Post-scriptum: Today, Tuesday September 27 was a great photo day at Cap Tourmente. Not only was the conjunction of birds, light, poses and backgrounds exceptional, but the first families of Greater Snow Geeses to land and feed off the fields of the reserve arrived - aboput 100-200. I don't know how my poor knees held out!!

The last couple of days has seen the goose count rise from 8,000 to over 17,000, but these for now still spend the day in the river!

Mike