Incredible Ducks of Kikchijoji

[Ely Teehankee]

After visiting the home of Tateo at Honjo, Saitama, we took a train to Kichijoji which is more or less between Saitama and Tokyo. The next day we woke up early and it was a very cold morning around 0º - 3ºC, so cold that there would be vapors coming out of our mouths when we breath or speak. LOL. When we got to the lagoon and saw some ducks that got as excited and we started to follow them. As the sun started to rise, the ducks became more active. The ducks were much nearer than when we saw them at the Arakawa River. We also noticed that the ducks are not as shy as those we saw in Arakawa River. These are all migratory birds but being accustomed to people passing by, they were not as shy anymore. We had lunch at the park and continued to take pictures in the afternoon. Walking around the lagoon, we clocked more than 5 kilometers of walking and photographing the birds and the ducks.

Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.



Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) 15 1/2 inches.
1/500 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600




Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) 37 inches
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600





Common Pochard (Aythya terina) 31 inches.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600




Northern Shoveler (Anas clepeata) 19 inches. Male
1/500 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600





Northern Shoveler (Anas clepeata) 19 inches. Female
1/400 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600




Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 29 1/2 inches
1/640 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600




Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) 10 inches.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 200

[Tateo Osawa]

All nice shots, Ely. Still I remember the birds in the park.

[Romy Ocon]

Superb series, Ely..... wish we can get that close to these quackers at Candaba!

[Ely Teehankee]

Jan 23, 2015 14:07:07 GMT Tateo Osawa said:

All nice shots, Ely. Still I remember the birds in the park.

Thank you Tateo. It seems like it was ordinary when we were there but it is truly special to be able to see the ducks this close. As pointed out by Romy, it would be happiness for all of us if we can get this close to the ducks in Candaba.

[Ely Teehankee]

Jan 24, 2015 2:25:22 GMT Romy Ocon said:

Superb series, Ely..... wish we can get that close to these quackers at Candaba!

Thank you Romy. This kind of situation is what bird photographers wish for, but unfortunately it does not happen all the time. I am glad that Tateo convinced me to go to Japan for the winter birds. Although it was cold, it was also comfortable when you are wearing the proper clothing. The Japanese restaurants here are comparable with the good Japanese restaurants of Japan, so that is a bonus for us here in the Philippines.

[Bobby Kintanar]

Wow,those are really highly detailed shots! You nailed those photos, Ka Ely! :-)

[Ely Teehankee]

Mar 4, 2015 22:42:12 GMT Bobby Kintanar said:

Wow,those are really highly detailed shots! You nailed those photos, Ka Ely! :-)

Thank you Bobby. You would have done the same with your present setup.