Lake Léman diving ducks

February 20, 2025 · Lac Léman, near Lausanne, Switzerland · Overcast, 37°F, still · Olympus OM-1, 100-400mm

I’m in Switzerland for a week of not-photography. The lake is a ten-minute walk from where I’m staying and I’ve been out twice at dawn and once at dusk. The morning light off the lake when it’s still is unlike anywhere I’ve shot.

Diving ducks are the story. Tufted Duck rafts, fifty strong. Common Pochard mixed in. Goldeneyes farther out. Red-crested Pochard closer to shore at the reed edge — the males are so ridiculous-looking they almost break my composure. A single Black-necked Grebe was the prize of the morning.

This is an Olympus trip because I’m trying to keep the bag small. The 100-400mm on the OM-1 gets me to 800mm full-frame equivalent, which is plenty for lake birds who are used to humans.

Non-duck highlights: Great Crested Grebes already pairing up (they display all winter if the weather’s not too bad), Coot brawls every ten minutes, and two Yellow-legged Gulls on a breakwater that I spent ten minutes trying to talk myself into being something rarer.

Ate a fondue for dinner for no good reason at all. It was excellent.

Tufted Duck raft on the lake — Tufted Duck raft — fifty-ish birds. Tufted Duck 100-400mm, 1/640s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Common Pochard male close-up — Pochard drake. Common Pochard 100-400mm, 1/640s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Common Goldeneye at distance — Goldeneye, distant. Common Goldeneye 100-400mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Red-crested Pochard male near reeds — Red-crested Pochard — ridiculous and wonderful. Red-crested Pochard 100-400mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO 500

Black-necked Grebe in winter plumage — Black-necked Grebe, the bird of the morning. Black-necked Grebe 100-400mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Great Crested Grebe displaying — Great Crested Grebes displaying. Great Crested Grebe 100-400mm, 1/1000s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Coot mid-brawl — Coot brawl number four of the morning. Eurasian Coot 100-400mm, 1/1250s, f/6.3, ISO 800

Yellow-legged Gull on breakwater — Yellow-legged Gull, not rarer. Yellow-legged Gull 100-400mm, 1/800s, f/6.3, ISO 400

Lake surface at dawn — Dawn on Léman. Lac Léman dawn 23mm, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 400

Mountains across the lake in haze — Alps on the far shore. Alps across lake 100-400mm at 200mm, 1/250s, f/6.3, ISO 400