Egrets and Mallards
by Brian Tada
Title
Egrets and Mallards
Artist
Brian Tada
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
Observing wildlife ~ especially the avian variety ~ can be one of the greatest ways to reduce stress.
I captured this photo from across a small lagoon at a marsh along Richardson Bay near Mill Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It was one of the coldest days of early 2020 in Northern California, with daytime high temperatures only in the 40s Fahrenheit, chilly by Bay Area standards.
A group of nine snowy egrets (Egretta thula) had stood at the water’s edge, preening their feathers. One by one, six of them took flight in staggered fashion~ a reflection of their independent nature.
Meanwhile, several mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) paddled to the edge of the marsh and waddled up on land to rest. The iridescent green heads of the male ducks shimmer in the afternoon sun.
Suddenly, four snowy egrets appeared in-flight, circled briefly and made a graceful landing.
It was such a brief, fleeting moment of beauty, captured here for your enjoyment as wall art, greeting cards and home/office décor which can be ordered on this page.
The peaceful coexistence of two diverse bird species is striking.
We can learn a lot from nature. God’s creation is replete with life lessons ~ if we take a bit more time to stop, look, listen…. enjoy….. and learn.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
~ Psalm 133:1 (NKJV)
Nature Fact:
When threatened, a mother mallard duck may play injured to distract a would-be intruder from attacking her brood. (Source: National Geographic)
Grateful to God and thankful to the group administrators for featuring this image on the home page(s) of the Fine Art America group(s) ::
* IMAGES THAT EXCITE YOU, 01.21.20
* FAA PORTRAITS ~ BIRDS, 01.22.20
* FAA GALLERY HOME FOR ALL ARTISTS WHO CREATE, 01.22.20
* ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHS, 01.23.20
* ARTIST SALON 1, 01.24.20
* 10 PLUS, 01.28.20
* ANIMALS AND BIRDS IN THE WILD, 02.06.20
Photographic notes:
To get all the birds to fit in this photo, minor edits were made to bring sections of the image closer together while preserving the overall original scenery and positions of the birds.
Embedded in the top right-hand corner is the Hebrew acronym for "B'ezras Hashem"[ב ס " ד] meaning "with God's help". It is a reminder to me as an artist and photographer of my dependence on the Almighty, the Originator of all creativity. This is a similar acknowledgement used by great artists like Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel who signed their work with the Latin phrase, "Soli Deo gloria" which means, "Glory to God alone".
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Photo copyright © 2020 Brian Tada. To the glory of God. All rights reserved. Downloading, duplication, distribution and/or altering of this image without the express written permission of the artist/photographer is prohibited. Please do not capture/make screenshots of this copyrighted image. It is available for purchase as fine art products listed above. Licensing of this image is available; please inquire.
Uploaded
January 20th, 2020
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Viewed 6,094 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/19/2024 at 10:37 PM
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Comments (73)
Rachel Morrison
What a magnificent moment of the four egrets flying together with the mallards. I love the tones of the grasses too! Beautiful and special nature capture!
Randy Burns
Brian, this egret is a bird I see often on daily walks and love so much seeing it in flight here in your gallery. Another special moment in nature. Wonderful my friend. F/L/TW.
Brian Tada replied:
Thank you very much for your kind words and promo on this image, Randy! God bless you.
Marian Bell
This is happiness on display; flights of freedom to enjoy the beautiful nature around them! May we all have some sense of happiness in these trying days! God bless us all! LF
Hanne Lore Koehler
Fantastic capture of these magnificent birds, Brian! What beautiful sunlight and shadows! Gorgeous colors and background in this masterful composition! L/F/T/FB/P
Brian Tada replied:
Hanne, thank you so much for the honor of your kind words, like/fave, tweet and Facebook and Pinterest promo, so greatly appreciated!
Rick Davis
Brian, you photographed these Beautiful birds So Excellently! Also love how the field looks they are in!
Laurie Search
Aww, I just love this, Brian!!!! Fantastic, beautiful capture!!!! I especially love the flying egrets!!! :)))vf