We associate a large influx of Red-breasted Mergansers to Lake Macatawa with the Christmas season as they usually appear just before the Christmas Bird Count. We see lots of them flying back and forth from Lake Michigan inland to Lake Macatawa or floating in the water.
We were at Grand Haven State Park when we observed this merganser floating in the channel on an iceberg. A small portion of his seldom seen scaly upper leg. He looks like he is very relaxed and ready to take a nap while soaking up the sunshine. Most of his features are exemplified in this photo: breast, serrated beak, red eye, white underneath, reddish breast he is named for, and feather tuffs.