I love when I download a set of shots from camera to computer and find surprises — pictures I didn’t know I had. It’s what keeps me going as I delete hundreds of bad shots.

This set of three shots is a perfect example.

Just to practice I photographed this male mallard as he walked by me up the beach toward the sun. Mallard shots are easy to get so I wasn’t expecting anything special. To my surprise and delight, I got a stunning example of the structural color of feathers.

There’s no true color here. It’s the structure and layout of the feathers and their reflection of light that create what looks like three different bird heads. But this is the same bird all within a minute’s stroll. No photo or color adjustments on my part.

Nature is amazing!