The dog hunting the mallard surprised me. It was supposed to be just another quiet morning along the Ribersborg shoreline — the kind where the sun sparkles off the Öresund, and the horizon stretches pale and infinite. I was kneeling in the reeds, Sony A7R V poised with the 200–600mm, casually scanning for coastal birds when a golden retriever burst into my frame with the kind of dramatic entrance only a dog can pull off.
There, ahead of it, a female mallard — Anas platyrhynchos — took flight in a sudden spray of Baltic water. Her wings sliced through the air with that sharp metallic green flash, the unmistakable speculum catching the morning light. She was gone in a breath, rising just beyond the reach of splashing paws.
And the dog? All boundless energy, tail wagging like mad, barking up into empty air. I couldn’t help but laugh aloud. These are the moments that make bird photography so wonderfully unpredictable.
About the mallard
The mallard is one of the most widespread and adaptable ducks in the world. Found across Europe, Asia, and North America, it thrives in both wild wetlands and urban parks.
🟢 Males are known for their striking green heads and yellow bills, while
🤎 Females sport mottled brown plumage — perfect camouflage during nesting.
Mallards are dabbling ducks, meaning they feed mostly at the surface rather than diving. Their distinctive quack, mainly from females, is one of the most recognized sounds in nature.
They’re also the wild ancestors of most domestic duck breeds — making them not just survivors, but icons of avian resilience.
The photographers view
I captured the moment at 1/2000s, f/6.3, ISO 400 — freezing both the water spray and the fleeting wingbeat. It’s not the classic portrait of a bird in calm stillness. But it’s real. It’s wild. It’s interaction. And it’s why I carry my gear, even when I’m just out for a walk.
📍 Shot at Ribersborgsstranden, Malmö — one of Sweden’s most accessible urban nature spots.
📷 Sony A7R V with the 200–600mm G OSS lens.
⚙️ ISO 400 | Shutter Speed 1/2000s | Aperture f/6.3
Have you had a similar moment — a creature dashing into your frame and stealing the scene? Let me know in the comments or tag me in your wild city captures.
#mallard #ribersborg #swedishnature #urbanwildlife #birdphotography #natureinmalmö #ducksofinstagram #wildlifemoment #goldenretrieverantics #sonyalpha #naturephotoblog
Leave a Reply