Hooded Merganser
My first photo venture of the New Year was chasing some winter ducks, Hooded Mergansers. I had high hopes as there were 3 males and 5 females that settled into my local pond. Usually, when there are multiple males, there is much interaction between the birds. Even in the “non breeding” season, they are very territorial about their harem of females and will chase each other or even fight. Alas, over 2 hours they were content to simply float around. The good news is that they would gradually move my way as the dog walkers on the other side of the pond came by. This is one of the shots I was able to take. Just a “floater”, but it does show the beauty of this bird.
Country United States
State California
Location Local pond
Gender Male
Age Adult
Activity In or By Water
- Created Timestamp01/02/2026 00:03:40
- CameraCanon EOS R5m2
- Aperture5.6
- CreditJim and/or Deb Babbitt
- Copyright2026
- Focal Length840
- Iso12800
- Shutter Speed1/3200
Nice shot Bajadreamer.
Agreed – beautiful!