Anthropomorphic captions almost always lie about the animals they purport to describe!
This juvenile Australian Wood Duck was simply preening, as birds do.
This behaviour has precisely nothing to do with egregious self-regard.
However, the “water as mirror” circumstance does lead me to one of my favourite pianists, delivering a sublime rendition – coughers, notwithstanding – of Claude Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau.
(The apology/note to subscribers – published as part of Winter, transitioning to Spring – is still apropos, alas. So its advice is still current: if you receive an overly-full “new post notification” email, I suggest that you immediately click its link to www.pelican-yoga.com and then delete the notification email)
Many “virtuoso” classical pianists leave me underwhelmed/unmoved/irritated.
Daniil Trifonov, however, is very definitely not “one more tedious hotshot”/ “yet another fleet-fingered narcissist”.
If you are new to him, be sure to hear him play Chopin.
Australian Wood Ducks are one of our most common waterbirds, but no less beautiful for that.
Chenonetta jubata is a dabbling duck, and the only living member of its genus.
Adult plumage differs from the pictured juvenile’s; both photos copyright Doug Spencer, taken at Lake Monger, 4.55 pm on 05 August 2020.
