Common Merganser Female photos by Larry Jordan
Following the episode at Turtle Bay when I found the Belted Kingfisher and watched the Green Heron preening, I decided to revisit that location, a few days later, in another attempt at photographing the kingfisher or Common Mergansers I had seen. I have spotted Belted Kingfishers nearly every visit to Turtle Bay so I am reasonably sure there is at least one pair that live there year round.
Not having but an hour or so to find my bounty, I spotted a small flock of female mergansers from the bridge upon my arrival and made my way down to the shore where they were relaxing with a group of Canada Geese (click on photos to see the full sized image).
I counted a baker’s dozen of these beautiful redheaded females, some sleeping
while others were fishing nearby from the water’s surface and diving.
Common Mergansers are a visual pursuit predator, with a slender and serrated bill for grasping prey, primarily small fish, but also aquatic invertebrates (insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms), frogs, small mammals, birds, and plants. They forage in bouts of dives separated by inter-dive pauses and probe sediments and underwater stones for prey1.
When at the surface, they swim forward with their head underwater searching for or chasing prey then submerge to capture the item. In shallow water they return to the surface to swallow prey, in deeper water they may swallow fish while still submerged, typically with neck outstretched. Migrating and wintering flocks of hundreds of birds may forage cooperatively by forming a loose line and driving fish ahead of them1.
The following video shows a female Common Merganser with her brood fishing from the surface and diving for food.
Most of the birds were frolicking and bathing in the water, followed by preening
sometimes followed by vigorous wing flapping
This bird appears to be molting, growing out new flight feathers. It is very possible that this flock of mergansers could be adults with their juvenile offspring.
It sure was fun watching them fishing, diving, playing and preening.
As I was preparing to leave, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bluish-gray bird with a lot of white flashing. I only saw it for an instant as it flew across in front of me and was immediately hidden behind a tree. It was headed for the other side of the river. I think it was a Belted Kingfisher, teasing me.
Until next time, drop by Birdfreak and check out all the great photos at Bird Photography Weekly.
References: 1 Birds of North America Online
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Great photos, Larry, that red head is certainly eye-catching. I like the video too. They are all so very busy!
.-= Mick´s last blog ..A Big Country! Part 5 =-.
Beautiful birds. My son says “That is cool”.
.-= Mike B.´s last blog ..Steller’s Jay With a Meal =-.
lol, I have not seen this bird with that hairdo before. When I have seen them they have always been “combed”. They hardly breed here so I only see them during migrating. 🙂
.-= NatureFootstep´s last blog ..A bird that likes stone and rock- Drillsnäppa – Actitis hypoleucos – Common Sandpiper =-.
The photos are great the video looks like a feeding frenzy.
.-= Neil´s last blog ..Tin Can Bay – Cooloola Cove =-.
Wow that’s a lot of little ones – I always love when they look under water for fish and one can only see their hairdo 🙂
.-= dreamfalcon´s last blog ..Moth Monday – Bee-Hawk =-.
Really nice captures of the mergansers in action! I have to say that kingfishers are among our favorites, often a hopeful target species that we often miss. I’d wish you better luck next time, but I think you lucked out with the mergansers! 🙂
.-= Amy´s last blog ..BPW- Avocets feeding =-.
@Mick, I love red-heads 😉
@Mike thank you. I agree with your very perceptive son
@NatureFootstep cool hairdo no?
@Neil thanks. The little ones do look busy don’t they?
@Dreamfalcon according to Birds of North America Online, their clutch size is 9 – 17 but other females may dump eggs into their nests
@Amy I did luck out with the mergansers and I am always looking for that chance to get a good shot of the Belted Kingfisher
Larry you got some great pictures there and a brill video. Over here (where they are known as Goosander) they are very shy and difficult to get close to so I have yet to get photos anywhere as good as yours.
.-= Phil´s last blog ..An August End =-.
I love this series. Beautiful shots of this bird (I totally adore that head) 😀
Glad you went back for another look 😀
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..365-2010 8 – Respite =-.
@Phil I love that name Goosander and I owe the getting closer to my subjects to digiscoping
@Nicole thank you very much. Now I need to go back and find that Belted Kingfisher!
Great photo series Larry! I love the video..so many babes!