The hooded mergansers arrived this week. The male is black and white and the female is brown. They often feed by swimming upstream, against the current, and scooping fish into their mouth. They are very shy and difficult to photograph close up.
I took these photos from my house. They are swimming in the flooded beaver ponds across the road. This required that I use a full 10x zoom in order to get any detail. Mergansers are "diving fish ducks with spikelike bills [and] saw-edged mandibles. Most species have crests, and are long-lined, slender-bodied" (Peterson Field Guide of Eastern Birds).
I am very happy to participate in the first week of Camera Critters. Be sure to click either the graphic below or the Technorati tag and view other animal photography. This is sure to be a popular meme.Technorati Tags: Hooded mergansers, Lophodytes cucullatus
Camera Critters_/\_/\_
I had never heard of these. You did an excellent job capturing them. They're really pretty, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how honored and excited I am that you joined CC! I'm a HUGE fan of your photography!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen or heard of the Mergansers before. So, I learned a lot in this post. They are quite the beautiful bird! That female is definitely camera shy ;-)
Again, thank you for joining Camera-Critters! I can't wait to see your critter photos each week!
I was at a local bird refuge today and plan on posting several photos tomorrow. Saw the hooded and common merganser along with many other avian friends, nice post.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful markings on them!
ReplyDeleteOh I wish I have sea next to my house. I love it.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! Thanks for sharing! Beautiful animals.
My CC is up, too. Please hop over if you like to.
Hugs,
&hearts Sonny
Great series, beautiful birds!
ReplyDeleteMarvellously collection, with beautiful photographs, very beautiful the first CC action!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning shots - thanks for joining CC and for sharing your photo-set with us!
ReplyDeleteWe do not have the Hooded Mergansers in the UK.. or if we do I have never come across them.. these are stunning.. I can see I will be learning a great deal with Camera Critters
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing pictures. I just love your photos!
ReplyDeleteDucks - a sure sign of spring!
ReplyDeleteVery neat Hooded Mergansers. I love duck pictures and ducks in general. Do these make the usual duck noises?
ReplyDeleteWe were at a pond the other day (me and my boys) and we heard weird noises..I thought it was a frog noise, the boys thought ducks, so we made up a new name for the mystery animal we never saw: Frucks, for frog duck(a fun word to say but sounds highly inappropriate!)
Great photos! I love being out photographing wild life.
ReplyDeletetalk about dressed in their Sunday best
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat name for them, they are pretty and the setting is nice too
ReplyDeleteMergansers are beautiful ducks...Super pictures
ReplyDeleteI also like to take duck pics :D
ReplyDeleteGreat shot.
Mine in here Thanks
Your skill in photography never ceases to amaze me!
ReplyDeleteFantastic captures!! Well Done!
ReplyDeleteMisty is an amazing woman, not gonna lie. I can see why she's a fan..your post is great, you've obviously got a beautiful setting for your photography! Happy CC
ReplyDeleteThe mergansers are lovely. It's awesome that you have such a great view from your house.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my other blog.
Now I feel better because I thought I'm the only one that is posting dock hehehehe..Great shot..Thanks for sharing...
ReplyDeleteMine is up:
My Digital Snapshot
Absolutely wonderful series! I have an entry too if you want to drop by.
ReplyDeleteYour Hoodies are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI don't know enough about the mergansers to tell you why most of the flocks I encounter are females although this is frequently the case.
Thanks for your comments on Country Captures.
Salty
Great shots of the ducks. We don't have any like these in my area or at least I haven't seen any. A good post for this meme.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen one before! Awesome pictures! The name seems very fitting. That is smart how they swim against the current to get the fish.
ReplyDeleteI don't see Hooded Mergansers here, but I do get Common Mergansers. Very nice shots of these gorgeous birds.
ReplyDelete