Time With Hooded Mergansers

It's that time of year when the Hooded Mergansers show up here in numbers. They winter here and it's always a treat to spend some camera time with them. For the most part I keep the 1.4X teleconverter on the 500mm since they spend about 80 percent of there time at a good distance. After and hour or two they tend to relax and swim closer which allows for some very close portrait shots at 700mm. All of these are shot from the ground pod, without it the birds would never swim near me. Anything vertical that's moving or noisy sends them quickly away. You can tell which shots were taken early or in overcast skies by the wing blur. Once they get in full sun I can crank up the shutter speed.

These are extra special. Some of the best Hooded Merganser shots I've seen. Nice work!!! For the past month I've been chasing Hooded Mergansers at our local wastewater treatment plant. I have lots of images but nothing that comes close to these. Wow........

That's some really nice shots, beautiful birds.

Excellent as always, Steve. They are one of my favorite waterfowl species.

Thats how it's done folks...

Are these birds edible?

Very nice images, btw.

Fantastic set Images.

T.

Beautiful, beautiful images.

Amazing as always.

really nice- all are my favorite

Great photos. Sounds like you must have been there quite a while to get these. Good work.

docg wrote in post #18227915
These are extra special. Some of the best Hooded Merganser shots I've seen. Nice work!!! For the past month I've been chasing Hooded Mergansers at our local wastewater treatment plant. I have lots of images but nothing that comes close to these. Wow........

Thanks Doc, I greatly appreciate the kind comments. I find Hoodies, Buffleheads and Wood Ducks the most challenging. "Chasing" them has always proven futile so I plant myself on the ground at the waters edge with as much natural cover as possible and wait. They keep an eye on me but the longer I'm still the more comfortable they become and work their way to me. I've always tried to use this strategy when ever possible. When the birds become that comfortable they're far more likely to behave like I'm not there. Those are the shots I want most.

dm1215al wrote in post #18227930
That's some really nice shots, beautiful birds.

Thanks very much.

CDMOOSE wrote in post #18227971
Excellent as always, Steve. They are one of my favorite waterfowl species.

Thanks Al, it's difficult not to key on the drakes. They're just so cool looking and can strike so many interesting poses.

Oldjackssparrows wrote in post #18227994
Thats how it's done folks...

Thanks very much. 50% credit to the birds for tolerating me.

Alveric wrote in post #18228035
Are these birds edible?

Very nice images, btw.

Thanks. I've heard mention from hunters that they are edible but are fishy tasting. I guess they are what they eat.

TerryWSmith wrote in post #18228075
Fantastic set Images.

T.

Thanks very much Terry.

greyswan wrote in post #18228164
Beautiful, beautiful images.

Thanks very much Chris.

Scrub wrote in post #18228391
Amazing as always.

Thanks much.

CaptBob wrote in post #18228861
really nice- all are my favorite

Thank you Bob.

bpalermini wrote in post #18228900
Great photos. Sounds like you must have been there quite a while to get these. Good work.

Thanks Bob. These were taken over a couple of mornings. Each time I'd stay about two hours.

Steve, when I said chasing I didn't mean it literally. Like you, I find a spot and sit still and wait for them to come to me. They seem to have a "comfort zone" that's usually just a little too far away and they won't come any closer. I'm sure you're familiar with this "comfort zone"

docg wrote in post #18229110
Steve, when I said chasing I didn't mean it literally. Like you, I find a spot and sit still and wait for them to come to me. They seem to have a "comfort zone" that's usually just a little too far away and they won't come any closer. I'm sure you're familiar with this "comfort zone"

I know what you mean Doc. I keep my teleconverter on for that reason but most days they'll come too close for 700mm but it makes for some nice portrait opportunities. They get especially sensitive to movement when they get that close so I have to move verrrrrrrry slow.