Hooded Merganser Joy

I always swing by a local retention pond after my bird banding to check if there are any Hooded Mergansers swimming about. They prefer a certain pond every year and sometimes they make good subjects. Sometimes they want nothing to do with me and retreat to the underside of a parking structure. Today they didn't mind my being there.



In the past, my shots have been rather hit or miss. Could be raining. Could be getting there when the light is too harsh. A lot of times they are just constantly moving and my shots seem too soft for me. For whatever reason today my shots were spot on.



I ended up with a ton of shots I liked and I had to just narrow down choices for this selection. I will probably go back to revisit the gallery again in a while but for now I needed to stop. The males were giving me a lot of nice poses I enjoy.



The female Hooded Mergansers were cruising a little closer to me and would just stare after coming up from a dive for food.



Then the light would strengthen just a bit more and light up their crest.



Such a cute, coy looking lady.



I always think the eyes on these birds ends up a little blurry. Drives me crazy. The rest of the shot is in focus.



Now I wonder if since Hooded Mergansers are divers that perhaps it is a nictitating eyelid like sharks. It is "a transparent (or translucent) third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye for protection". Would explain it to me.



A final shot of two females drifting past.



I could sit with the Hooded Mergansers all day but I had other things to do. Like wash bug spray off of me. And bird poop. Happens when banding birds.