Red-Breasted Mergansers are high energy birds that migrate in the winter to our coastline from Canada. Whenever I see them, they are always busy diving and looking for food. They have to eat 15 to 20 fish a day and must spend 4 to 5 hours every day diving for fish!
I usually wait until they surface to photograph them, and as a result they have a constant wet look with water beading all over their faces and bodies. Both male and female birds have the spiky and shaggy head prized by some young people today.
RV John said:
I love when I can catch a pair of birds, great job on the capture of them!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you John!
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Julie@frogpondfarm said:
Wonderful birds and photos Hien. Very cool hair dos … They have that ‘busy’ look about them 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
They do have that busy look, like they just got out of the showers and have to hurry up for work. Thank you Julie!
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Julie@frogpondfarm said:
Late for work I would say 😉
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bluebrightly said:
Great looking birds! I like seeing the crest wet and messy – it makes the photos look very real. 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Lynn! Wet and messy, like some humans.
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Gunta said:
Marvelous captures, Hien! We see them occasionally here but mostly at a distance.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! They do migrate to the West Coast in the winter.
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bayphotosbydonna said:
Awesome shots, Hien, and you captured that male’s beautiful eye!
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coolquilting said:
beautiful…we get Hooded mergansers that look a lot like these mergansers…especially the female with a spiky hair-do. Super photos.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you!
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Robert said:
Red eyes!
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neihtn2012 said:
Yeah, they always look drunk, don’t they?
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Lignum Draco said:
Love your comment about the spiky hairstyles. 🙂 They look quite distinctive.
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neihtn2012 said:
That’s what struck me about them, and their red eyes also.
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Sue Slaght said:
Those spiky hairdos are something else. Gorgeous captures.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Sue!
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Irene said:
Wonder if mergansers come to our area. I’ll have to do some research! One of my goals for this year is to work on my captures of birds. We will see how that goes. 😊
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neihtn2012 said:
I think they breed in your area, and in Canada also.
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Irene said:
The Indiana Audubon Society has confirmed that you are right! 😊 I will definitely be on the look out for them. Thanks, Hien.
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roninjax said:
Superb images. That’s a lot of fish they have to consume. 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! The fish they eat are rather small, compared to Ospreys or Cormorants.
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inesephoto said:
Love the eyes 🙂 Such a beautiful bird. You are so lucky to have them as your models 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! We are indeed lucky to see them in the winter.
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Eliza Waters said:
Oh that red eye! Great shots, Hien!
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neihtn2012 said:
Red eyes and spiky hair! Thank you Eliza!
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Amy said:
They are indeed beautiful and unique, Hien! 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Amy! They stand out, like the male Hooded Margansers.
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Tiny said:
Beautiful captures of these colorful birds, Hien!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Helen!
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Jet Eliot said:
These photos are truly fantastic, Hien. You captured their unique look so beautifully, and the wet heads and beaded coats demonstrate how frequently and energetically they are diving. Red eyes are beacons here. We don’t see these birds very often where I live, and I feel like I’ve gotten a good fill for awhile here, thank you.
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ekurie said:
I don’t think I have seen these before! More familiar with the hooded merganser. Thanks for great photos.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you! These ducks prefer to stay near salt water in the winter.
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