Surf Scoter

Birders are often forced to appreciate this bizarrely-beautiful species from a distance, the diving seaducks preferring ocean and bays to rivers and lakes, but I was able to score this super-close view by approaching this male in my inflatable kayak. This is one of the most difficult exposures with the nearly-pure blacks and whites, so I was stoked to keep the detail on both ends of the spectrum. I had't appreciated the tiny barbs on the beak before this result. Gotta love that funky white eye, too!

San Mateo County, California, 2/27/20
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS 1DX Mark II
1/1600 at f/5.6, ISO 1000