Field Notes
The red-crested pochard is a diving duck built for colour — the male's fiery orange-red head glowing above a black breast, the female a soft, understated brown beside him.
I photographed them at Gajoldoba in winter, where they gather on the open water in pairs and small groups. Diving ducks reward patience: they vanish below the surface mid-frame and reappear somewhere unexpected, so much of the work is anticipating where a bird will come up and holding the light on the water until it does.
