pic of the day - mallard

Today is a filthy day. The sky is overcast and the wind is genuinely whistling around the house. I went out for morning coffee with a friend and, just as we were leaving, the sun came out for a short while. The little place we went to is right on the edge of a lake, and this mallard came over to investigate the possibility of bread crusts. The sun glinting off his jewel-green head just had to be captured.

Another reason I am pleased with this picture is that I had to use the zoom lens (the duck wasn't anywhere near as close as he appears, here) and, without a tripod, zoom photos require a steadier hand than I usually have.

As a bit of an extra - here is a picture of the view from the coffee shop.