Wood Duck - Full Color

This Wood Duck is like Bigfoot to me.  I've heard about them.  I've seen pictures of them.  But when you see one - and can prove it the myth disappears.  How does nature do this?  I don't know what the colors mean, maybe in time I'll find out.  I have a new color test pattern.
There is an issue that is creeping up on me, which has been mentioned before.  This image is at 600 mm.  The end of my reach.  It is cropped.  Simply this is the best I can do.  I fear another purchase.  Relatively soon.

ISO 800, f/8, 1/400 sec, 600 mm

Capturing a duck photo, for me, wasn't easy.  Ducks appear to be the most skiddish of all the creatures in the Refuge.  Just thinking about raising the camera and they'll scatter.  For this photo I had to stop the truck, kill the engine and wait for about 10 minutes for this one to appear.  Well worth the wait.  I waited by an area where I could see the ducks moving behind a log, but not on the water bank.  Eventually, this one just jumped put of the water on to the log and, just surveyed the area.  This one one didn't move for about five minutes, so I could take quite a few shots.
I need more reach.