Male Mandarin Duck preening itself. The female was obscured by vegetation, which is a shame because they have a subtle beauty to them so different from the flashy male.
I love it! The photosheet pretty effectively captures the behaviour, in this case preening. I notice the webbed feet and think "those don't look too handy for gripping onto a branch". Do you have a photo from a greater (perceived) distance away to show how high up from the ground they are, etc.?
That's super unexpected based on their feet. I'd guess there's an interesting adaptation story there. I love your b-side photos! I agree with you that the female is also beautiful in a more subtle way