A Stunning Couple
As the tide edged in, the birds came closer to the beach where I waited among scattered black stones and sand. Several waterfowl species worked the shallows, diving or dabbling for mollusks. Out the farthest, a conga line of two dozen surf scoters worked the deeper waters, the males’ orange bills flashing vibrantly whenever the group dived in unison to feed.
Just inside the scoters, but too far out to photograph, a pair of buffleheads bobbed in shallow, undulating wave action. Closer in, but still too far, a pair of harlequins paddled in a beeline toward a series of abandoned pilings encrusted in mussels and barnacles.
Closest of all, almost within range of my 500mm lens and 1.4X extender setup, several Barrow’s goldeneyes worked the shallows just offshore. I knew the tide would bring them to me and that I would get some shots as long as I sat patiently and didn’t move.
A mature Barrow’s goldeneye drake reflects iridescent purple colors as it forages in Alaska’s Resurrection Bay.
Resurrection Bay is a scenic wonder, surrounded by the glaciers and cloud-piercing crags of the Kenai Mountains. Rock bluffs overlooking the bay’s blue waters are home to black bears and mountain goats while the waters teem with birdlife, sea otters, and harbor seals. Absorbing it all — the birds and wildlife, the hissing surf, the shadows and sunlight filtered by the peaks — I found it easy to sit patiently on the beach, awaiting my opportunity to shoot.
Ultimately, the time came when two groups of Barrow’s goldeneyes merged and paddled in just off the beach. When a pair broke off and turned against a sunbeam, I was ready and fired away. I was pleased by the way a telltale purple sheen lit the breeding drake’s head, and that is the image I share today
This photograph was made with my Canon R5 and 500mm f/4 lens augmented with a 1.4X extender for 700mm at f/8, shutter speed 1/800, ISO 400. To bring accentuate the purple sheen on the drake’s head — and being careful not to clip the whites on its breast and flanks — I compensated by adding +.67 stop of exposure.
— km
