This photograph of female Hardhead was taken in the morning of 4 November 2024. The sun has just risen and the sky was relatively clear. It cast a beautiful warm light over Oak Street Weland.
The female Hardhead is distinguished from the males by the colour of her eyes. The females have dark eyes while the males have white eyes (male Hardhead).
Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO1100
Hardheads are native Australian ducks. Although not always present at Oak Street Wetland, they can be found there most times.
On 27 October 2024, about 6 of them was observed at the Wetland. This male Hardhead posed for me by swimming across the break in the reeds as I held the camera low close to the edge of the pond. The sun was behind the cloud, so I wasn’t fortunate enough to have light like this photograph. Perhaps next time one of these Hardheads can pose for me again with better light.
Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/640s f/6.3 ISO2000
From time to time, we can see Hardheads at Oak Street Wetland. This photograph of a male Hardhead was taken in the morning of 19 August 2024. There were 4 Hardheads that day but up to 8 had been reported.
Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/500s f/6.3 ISO2200.