It’s been weeks since I’ve been able to go shooting when we’ve had decent light and then yesterday afternoon the sun miraculously came out for a few hours and within seconds of arriving at my destination I got a mated pair of “lifers”. Go figure.
As a bird photographer my definition of “lifer” is different from that of most birders. For me it isn’t a species I’ve never seen before, instead it’s a species I’ve never photographed well enough to keep the photos. I actually did photograph a female Hooded Merganser some years ago but I didn’t like the images because of the very steep angle (I was shooting down at her at about 45 degrees). I did keep three of those photos but only to document her misaligned bill. So I’m still gonna call these mergansers lifers because by my personal definition they’re close enough.
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
This is the female of the pair. Both of these birds were always partially or completely sidelit so I really had to work at getting well-lit detail on their entire bodies. This is about as well as I was able to manage with the female and that’s at least partially my fault. Once again I spent far more time with the flashy male in my viewfinder than I did with the more understated female and that was a mistake.
Someday I’ll learn. Maybe.
1/1000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Here’s the male of the pair flashing most if not all of his spectacular fan-shaped crest. Usually I couldn’t see this much of his crest but in this shot he had just finished scratching his head (we can see part of his foot being lowered back into the water after the scratching session) and he’d fully erected his crest during the process.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
At the last minute I decided to include this image of the male. For most readers it’ll likely have limited appeal, if any at all, but partly because of the dramatic water reflections it tickles my fancy, even though it was a very difficult exposure.
Today’s post is only an introduction to these “hoodies”. They were very shy but eventually they both put on quite a show by catching a bunch of fish and even squabbling over one of them so I ended up taking about 1750 photos of these birds. Whew, talk about going from famine to feast for this bird photographer!
So I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of them and the fish they caught sometime soon but in the meantime I have a poop-load of images to review and cull.
I’m just a little surprised that I don’t see Hooded Mergansers more often than I do but I have a two-pronged theory to explain why. Here in northern Utah we’re right on the edge of their range so they’re even less common here than they are in many areas of their range (where they’re rarely abundant). And around here these birds, based on photos I see from local photographers, seem to most often be found along creeks and rivers that I can’t walk into because of my bad back. That’s very frustrating because the Jordan River is almost in my back yard but I can’t access most of it.
So coming across this mated pair was a real treat for me.
Ron
Always late to the party these days, but I wanted you to know I think they are lovely photos of stunning birds. I wish we could see more mergansers in Utah, I find them fascinating.
For me that third photo is magic. So delightfully different from most photos of waterfowl. A beautiful bird on liquid gold. Thank you for posting this lovely series of little ducks that are so rarely seen by most of us.
I’m glad you like it that much, Melanie. Thanks for letting me know.
Beautiful photos of such pretty little birds!
Little is right, LS. They look tiny next to a typically sized duck like a Gadwall. Thanks.
Great shots!
Thanks, Jean.
Beautiful birds; great photos. I saw a pair in the pond down the street in autumn but they have gone elsewhere. A neighbor put a nest box on a pole by the side of the pond, just in case.
Thanks, Lyle. I looked for these two birds today but they were also “gone”.
I’m glad you got these. Around here, on the lakes, they are fairly common this time of year, but as the weather and light are poor for another 7 days out, glad you got them for me.
Glad to be of service, Martha! 🙂
A real treat for you, and a very real treat for us too.
That third image is a stunner. The water, the ripples, the colour, the bird…
The female’s beauty is much subtler than her showboat partner’s but very real.
I am so glad that you got this opportunity.
I’m glad you like that third photo, EC. I wasn’t sure if many would.
I’m not much of a water-fowl birder, but I have to say, the male Hooded Merganser is quite the showpiece. However, I do like the look of “la femme” — such a contrast to her mate. And as several others have noted here, that third photo with the light, ripples and reflections on the water, and Mr. M right in the middle of it looking so calm and regal with his brilliant black, white and gold, is a terrific image. Congrats on catching your “lifers” on a good day in a good location!
“the male Hooded Merganser is quite the showpiece”
I agree, Chris. And the much brighter and differently colored eyes he has compared to the female really make him stand out I think. Thank you.
A belated Happy New Year Ron! I love those little Hoodies, they are such “showoffs”. Last year I got a series of shots of a female torturing then eventually eating a Yellow Perch in a pond not too far away from Nelson. I quite often see the Belted Kingfishers catching these fish on the same pond. Birds are just so amazing as are you, inspite of your pain you keep on sharing with us, thank you so much!
I appreciate your kind words, Shirley. Thanks.
Congratulations on your “lifers”! Gorgeous birds and your photographs are terrific. Tough to handle the contrast with the male but you certainly nailed it. I really like your third image as the reflected water looks like a “trail” left by the Merganser.
Yes. I also plead guilty to ignoring the female wayyyy too often. (Female Merganser, that is. Just in case my bride is reading …..)
Don’t worry, Wally. I didn’t get THAT confused! 🙂
I’ve never seen them. Really pretty birds!
They sure are.
Beautiful series, Ron! I get to enjoy Hoodies all winter long but never get tired of seeing them!
Thanks, Diane. I wish I could see them more often.
Great shots Ron…I like the 3rd one the best…and thanks for the link…I find it interesting how animals and birds are able to adapt…have seen three legged coyotes and a three legged javelina in my neighborhood and they were doing quite well…Thanks again and maybe you can catch a nap today?
I’m working on that nap, Steve. Thanks.
Good morning Ron – beautiful photos of the mated pair of Hooded Mergansers. If you lived here you would have gotten your “lifer” many years ago. These beautiful and exotic guys and gals are everywhere. About a week ago I was at one of our lakes and was asked by a visiting birder from Wales and his companions from Tucson who were taking him on a tour of Arizona. I gave him a rundown on what was out on the lake and then they set up their telescopes etc. First thing I heard him say was, “Oh my God there are about 50 or more Hooded and Common Mergansers out there.”
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Sure sounds different there than here, Everett. But then birds are like that. Thanks.
Very nice Ron, “Hoodies” were (Still are) a nemesis species of mine photographically speaking. Might just be me, but I’ve always liked sidelighting, as it usually looks nice on most of the subjects I photograph.
And believe me, it’s not just you who’s been hit by dismal lighting recently. I went on a photography trip recently and the entire trip was cold and overcast. I tried to make the best with what I had, but the low light did not mix well with my camera and lens combo. It’s a shame because we came across several Red-tailed hawks, Bald eagles tending to their nest and eating, and the craziest sighting of all, a Bullock’s oriole that decided to harass a Red-shouldered hawk.
Oh and one last question, do you use eBird? As a combination birder and photographer, it’s made finding a lot of species I want to find even easier. It also allows for me to practice more with identifying birds to publish on a list. I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff up there in Utah that people are finding!
Once again, lovely shots, especially that 2nd photo of the male!
Thanks, Xavier. I like side light in some situations too. It can be very dramatic. But with a partly black and white bird like this male the exposure can be very, very difficult.
No, I rarely use eBird personally but I have access to their info from folks who do.
Love all three photos. Also like Judy that third photo has great appeal to me. I find the water effect stunning…it radiates out from him. Even though the males of the species always seems to have ‘all the great colors and markings’, I tend to prefer the under-stated beauty of the female. Something about their quiet subtleness draws me in…they seem to have an ‘all-knowing look’ about them. The fanning crest of this little fella, though beautiful, sends me a message of arrogance, but that is just my humble opinion. So glad you were able to get so many photos. How many times do you go through them to cull…I know it can be an excruciating process…
Ha, this little female’s colors may be quiet and subtle but her behavior sure wasn’t. She was quite aggressive with the male when he caught fish even though she caught about as many of them as he did.
With this many images I’ll probably go through them 2-3 times. Thankfully their numbers dwindle significantly each time. Thanks, Kathy.
YES! Glad the “weather gods” cut you some slack! 🙂 Personally I LOVE the 3rd photo – something about the water, the colors showing in the reflections, set off the merganser. He’s still center stage but there is “more” to the photo….. 🙂 Easy to see why more attention is drawn to the flashier male even tho subtle colors of the female are beautiful in their own right. The previous post of the female with the misaligned bill is also interesting – another lesson in how “critters” do survive/thrive with handicaps……. Don’t envy you the culling process ahead……… 🙁
I’m not looking forward to the culling either, Judy. Far from it. I actually had a dream (nightmare) about it last night – probably part of the reason I’ve been awake since 1 AM. It’s gonna be a very long day.
Then I’m glad I linked to that female with the misaligned bill. I almost didn’t.