Canvasback

I've been birding for 35 years and observed this species on dozens of occasions, but this encounter represented my first photographic opportunity at this stunning bird. They prefer large lakes and open bays, so I was amazed to find two dozen of them in a small pond in downtown Los Angeles (well, Torrance). With various other ducks swimming through the frame and a fountain adding ripples to the water, it was hard to isolate an individual bird in smooth surrounds. I thought the black-and-brown stripes complemented the bird nicely, and cloned out a number of distracting blobs/elements/irregularities to keep view focus squarely on the subject.

Torrance, Los Angeles County, 12/26/20
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II on EOS 1DX Mark II
1/2500 at f/5.6, ISO 640