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I have been photographing Hooded Mergansers for the past ten or more years, almost always at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. For the past two years I either did not see them, or they were too far away to get decent images. This year they did not disappoint.

Hooded Mergansers is a small bird with visible and beautiful, very noticeable hood or crest, especially on the males. Last week a bunch of them were frolicking openly as high tide began filling the marshes with ocean water, fish, crustaceans, mollusks and other of their preferred foods.

Female and male Hooded Mergansers flying over the marshes.
Four male and two female Hooded Margansers.
Two male Hooded Mergansers.
Male Hooded Merganser.
Male Hooded Merganser being noticed by a female on the right.
She moved closer to him, saying maybe something sweet.
He increased his speed to get far from her.
Another male Hooded Merganser.
A pretty female Hooded Merganser.
Three male and two female Hooded Mergansers. The second male from the left was coming up for air after a dive.