American Wigeon in Flight

An American Wigeon flies over the duck pond during my recent Better than Bosque workshop in New Mexico.

American Wigeons consume more plant matter than any dabbling duck, thanks to their short, goose-like bill. The shortness of their bill allows them to exert more force at the tip, enabling them to easily pluck vegetation from fields and lawns.

American Wigeon (Anas americana, Canard d'Amérique, AMWI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

American Wigeon

One of the hardest aspects of duck photography to convey to workshop participants is to find a spot with the right light and background and wait: resist the urge to follow or chase the ducks around the pond as they forage. They will come back to the best light/background if you stay still and wait :)