Hooded merganser pair

[nanila]

We saw adult male and female hooded mergansers on the same trip to the Nisqually wildlife refuge in Washington state, USA, as the Cooper's hawk and tree swallows.

These two are clearly on a mission!

Comments

[shirebound]

What a beautiful pair.

[nanila]

Yes. Serene on top, paddling furiously beneath. :)

[chestnut_pod]

Wow, they really do look so determined! I love the female's wonderful head feathers.

[nanila]

I think they were patrolling that section of the lake. There were a few other mergansers around and each of them seemed to have a "patch".

[yourlibrarian]

Ooh, eyecatching!

[nanila]

Yes. I love the female's mohawk. The male may be brighter, but her hairdo is way cooler. :D

[cesy]

Nice!

[nanila]

And swift! They move fast in the water.

[shapinglight]

Lovely picture!

[nanila]

Thank you! The wakes behind them give some indication of their speed.

[seasonoftowers]

What lovely hairdos they have!

[nanila]

Yes! The male looks quite different with his crest down, like this, as opposed to up.