Friday, November 23, 2012

A Mother's Journey

There's a photo I've been wanting to get for ages. A cursory glance through Google images and Flickr shows that nobody else has got it either. At least the exact shot I have in mind. It's probably out there somewhere, but I haven't seen it.

So, today I saw a mummy duck with a bunch of ducklings.
They were waddling down the footpath near our house, and I got to thinking - Where's she going? So I stopped the car and took a few snaps as she trotted along Saby's Rd with her brood.










She clearly had a destination in mind. I tried to think where the nearest water was and wondered if she was heading there. So I drove the car forward to the end of Saby's Rd and watched her come towards me.


As if she had a predetermined flight plan she rounded the corner onto Halswell Junction Road and without skipping a beat made a beeline for Halswell Rd. So far she'd already waddled nearly a kilometre and I have no idea how far she'd come before I spotted her. I crossed to the other side of the road and kept snapping.

At some point, I got the feeling she was gonna cross the road. She just had that look about her.

Actually, I could tell because she stopped several times and literally looked up the road. If there were cars coming, she just kept on trucking along on the same side of the road.

Looks once
Three times she stopped, looked, and saw cars coming so kept on going on the same side.

Looks twice
Then, a chance. No cars. So she took it. (Hurry up little guy at the back!)


And suddenly, I knew I wasn't going to get the shot I've been looking for :( But I got close.


For the longest time, I've wanted to get a shot similar to the above but with several cars backed up waiting for the ducks to cross. But it's not a shot you can set-up (well, you could, but it would be pretty hard). This is a good shot but not quite what I've had in mind. It's one of those shots where you have to be in the right place at the right time that seems like a one in a million but is probably only slightly less likely. 

Anyway. Keep trying.

Mother duck crossed the road and went on her way, oblivious to my photographic intentions. Bitch. 

She carried on down Halswell Junction Rd and took a left. Not sure where she was going because the nearest water I can think of is in the Halswell Domain, surely another two or three kilometres as the duck flies. She'da been better to stay on the other side of the road, hang a right and head towards Muir Park, only another 500 metres or so ATDF!


But I guess she knew what she was doing.


2 comments:

TRACEY EDWARDES said...

firstly - ATDF - what does that mean?
secondly WOW - this is blog/photshoot perfection. I'm so glad no one got run over in the making of this blog too... was holding my breath till the last sentence, Love the photo of the little one lagging behind.
What tenacity (and driving skills) you have to follow this through! - or did you have a loaf of bread with you .. hmmmm... (-;


peter said...

As The Duck Flies