![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hooded-merganser-3701-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"hooded-merganser-3701-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThe duck with the hammerhead crest. Sometimes.<\/p>\n
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1\/800, f\/8, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n It’s been two years since I’ve been able to get decent photos of a ‘Hoodie’ of either sex so late yesterday afternoon I was pretty excited when this female, that I hadn’t known was there, popped out from near the shore of a steep pond-bank right below me. For most of the time I had her in my viewfinder the light was filtered by thin clouds or she was in the shade of the high bank, or both. This is the best light I ever got on her.<\/p>\n Hooded Mergansers of both sexes are known for their distinctive crests. When fully erected the crest is fan-shaped, as it is here. But it’s often only semi-erected, which gives it a hammerhead shape, but she nearly always kept her crest fully erected while I was with her.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/320, f\/8, ISO 500, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I think she was as surprised by my appearance as I was by hers because as soon as I approached her she swam to the far side of the pond. So I soon left her to look for other birds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/800, f\/8, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n A little while later I came back and found her fairly close again. This time she was actively diving for food.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/800, f\/8, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n As in most diving birds, she would flatten the feathers on top of her head just before she went under. That’s easier said than done when you have a huge crest such as hers so just prior to diving, much of her flattened crest would bulge behind the back of her head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/800, f\/8, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n In an instant she was…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/800, f\/8, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n gone, or nearly so. I never did see her come up with prey.<\/p>\n In the past when I’ve seen this species this time of year they’re sometimes already paired up. But yesterday I couldn’t find her mate, if she had one.<\/p>\n Maybe next time.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: Don’t ask me about my camera settings for this series – they’re wonky. They were meant for another bird I’d been photographing just prior to the Hoodie and in all the excitement I guess I forgot to check\/change them for her. You’d think that would no longer happen after all these years of photographing birds.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The duck with the hammerhead crest. (6 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/hooded-marganser-3596-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"hooded-marganser-3596-ron-dudley\\"")
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