Exif data: NIKON D300, Focal Length: 105 mm, Aperture: f/5.6, Exposure: 1/640 sec, ISO Speed: 200, Flash: Not Fired
16/03/2010 at 17:36
Categories: [living creatures]  [water]  
23 comments
 

• yes, but can he quack like a goose?
  i love that you are sitting in a duck blind to get this shot.
  and you didn't shoot the duck.
  spring is coming! yay.
  Seraphine @ 2010-03-16 19:30:51
• p.s. is a quiet mind even possible? mine is like the duck-- placid on the surface, but always paddeling underneath. nevertheless, i like the quote.
  Seraphine @ 2010-03-16 19:32:49
• yep, it's something i don't quite enjoy watching too.. we went to a bass pro shop here and i was really surprised at the abundance of all the hunting gear there..
  rian @ 2010-03-16 19:35:34
• A great capture. I like the reflection in the water. Nice job.
  Terral @ 2010-03-16 19:40:42
• lovely reflections. and i think that's sweet that you ohhed and ahhed over the duck.
  michele @ 2010-03-16 21:09:29
• A gorgeous, peaceful scene. And such a contrast to the tornado havoc you recently experienced. Great shot, Sherri!
  martie @ 2010-03-16 21:59:51
• incredible texture a very clever photo, wonderful
  fabrizio @ 2010-03-17 00:58:57
• love that foreground blur
  yz @ 2010-03-17 01:10:06
• As always, I love your thought-provoking contemplation and the accompanying photograph.
  Arnd @ 2010-03-17 01:44:46
• For some reason, Sherri, this reminds me of my image today of the old glass that distorts what you see. For a state to be the duck-hunting capital of the world, it makes you wonder why you rarely see them. Do they instinctively know they need to hide??
  Ginnie @ 2010-03-17 01:53:30
• Being a famous hunting place, I presume ducks don't show themselves easily and this is the reason why you were amazed to see one of them!
  Wonderful capture.
  Standley @ 2010-03-17 02:02:23
• i'm not going to watch the video, under NORMAL circumstances i can't watch animals die.... i think ducks are for oohing and aaahing over, not shooting, so i like this shot alot
  Elaine- @ 2010-03-17 02:20:09
• Love the simple washed out tones and colors. So peaceful.
  Marcie @ 2010-03-17 02:25:59
• I like the foreground blur. It feels like I'm hiding and try to sneak up on him.
  Frida @ 2010-03-17 03:47:53
• really lovely, sherri! I kind of like the unfocused grass right in the foreground. it is a nice addition to the scene :)
  Charles Dastodd @ 2010-03-17 07:44:49
• Oh here is the duck you spoke of to me in one of your comments. I don't think I will watch the video but I am particularly taken with what you wrote about this. You leave me thinking on this.
  Diane @ 2010-03-17 09:18:27
• I like the isolated look of the duck. Interesting that the out-of-focus grass in the foreground doesn't distract from the view. Nice shot.
  don @ 2010-03-17 09:36:04
• Very nice mood with the lonely duck.
  BoB @ 2010-03-17 09:37:38
• Love the composition through the grass, funnily enough I can relate to what your saying I have seen many many ducks over the years but dont see that many in the city so when I saw my first one in NZ I was like a school kid in a candy shop LOL
  JJ @ 2010-03-17 11:28:01
• such nice reflections.
  Otto K. @ 2010-03-17 13:25:40
• Very cool .....Living around hunters but never have seen this. Found it real interesting.....the video.
  Sandy Weston @ 2010-03-17 15:24:53
• Flood waters?? I like the foreground grasses.
  Nick @ 2010-03-18 08:29:23
• Nice atmosphere!
  Laurens Kuipers @ 2010-03-20 07:05:01

When Matthew and I saw this duck sitting on this man-made pond we walked across the country road to look at it. We oooh'd and ahhh'd because we rarely see ducks. After about a minute we laughed at ourselves for being so silly over one whole duck.You would have thought we'd seen a hundred of them.

It's not like Arkansas doesn't have a lot of ducks. Some have claimed Arkansas is the duck hunting capital of the world. People literally come from all over to hunt ducks in Arkansas. I ran a search on google to see what the stats were for duck hunting and the video below made a match.

It's a first class video showing the sport of hunting ducks; including the beautiful black Labrador Retriever. However, it shows ducks being shot and killed. It was difficult for me to watch it and I hesitated to place it here, but it shows a culture that exists no matter how a person feels about it.


Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.
- Hans Margolius