A little over a week ago I saw a group of 6 Common Mergansers ( 5 males one female hmmm ; } ) on the river! I was with friends going shopping ... no camera so missed the opportunity!! Upon return it was just Karen and I . There was a couple of the ducks still there, so we drove to my house got the camera ! The river is right along side the road at this area so I am hanging out the window while she drives slowly along the edge in pursuit of the female who is not liking this!! Birders are crazy!! lol!
Out of at least 50 shots I was able to salvage a couple ..I tried!!
Common Merganser ...female
I didn't see the male until she made the get away !!
It was nice to see they where back on the river!!
These are the Hooded Mergansers !!
The male has the white heads ...the hens are in in the middle with fuzzy looking heads! There is a pair of Mallards in the back!!
This Hoody was down with the other and suddenly paddled his way right up
to the three Geese made a quick swing and started swimming with them!!
I don't know what's with that, lol, but it gives a closer look at him and just how little they are!!
Funny looking when they flare the white hood !! : ]
On wednesday before the storm I walked the river and found a Mallard on the future side on the ice !!
I think I was giving me the raspberry here ..or for you who don't know
what that means ...simply back off!!
Them a take off to the friendly sky he went!!
In a blur he was gone!!
A view along the rivers edge!!
This is a looking down to the bridge that is on my road taken from the edge of the river
on the Littlefield road that runs North to South of my East to West road !!
It got pretty chilly and there was a skim of ice which I haven't seen in a while!!I'm. hoping this foul weather hasn't sent them of , but is nice to see this happening..all good signs!!
Have a fabulous Sunday,and take a minute to think about how lucky you are compared to this past weeks devastating storms !!
Grace , Popey here, I have now had both eyes done and it is great. The
ReplyDeleteSecond was done on Thursday and is feeling fine.. GO Girl..
love Neil
PS. Forgot to say , take a look at the title pic on my blog. you know what they are !
ReplyDeleteLovely shots of the Common Mergansers and the rest of them. Superb.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed my vist as it seems you have the same interests as me.http://wildaboutwales.us/wp/
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, lovely shots of the mergansers. The mergansers in flight is my favorite. Wonderful shots of the hoodies and the mallards. The view of the river and bridge is pretty, very scenic shot. I hope you a Happy Sunday!
ReplyDeleteVery nice images and I like your titles for them. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed my trip out in the snow with you Grace, especially seeing those Hooded Mergs - a lifer for me. Looks like the birds know spring is on the way - all those males chasing one female - shocking, and those hoodies blowing up their hoods and showing off like that.
ReplyDeleteThat C. Goose sure dwarfs the hooded merganser! Great picures. Yep, spring is on its way!!
ReplyDeleteExciting images. Birds becoming active means that spring is on the way. It doesn't look like spring here though.We got a good dump of snow,the good thing is that it won't last long.
ReplyDeleteI think you have been taking lessons from Keith GG. {:)) Nice lot of water shots here.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, it's nice to know that Keith doesn't have the monopoly on the Goosanders (Mergansers)...ha! ha!
ReplyDeleteThose Hooded Mergansers look like splendid birds, very 'showy'.
The weather looks bleak around your neck of the woods at the moment, I hope it improves soon. (it's steady rain and sleet here now).
Have a good week...[;o)
Best wishes to all those across the pond who've been caught up in the recent bad weather.
there was bad weather in nearby areas yesterday around here Grace, but with the exception of lots of twings and limbs to pick up I escaped it once again. LOVE the mergansers in your posts they are beautitul--I love the hoddies...and your mallard giving you the raspberry, well its awesome..lol
ReplyDeleteloved all of your birds. we've been lucky to have a couple of hoodies visit here this year for the first time. they make me smile. :)
ReplyDeletei do feel for all of those affected by the severe storms and devastation already this season...
Beautiful water shots Grace.
ReplyDeleteI love the duck in flight.....movement in an image always works well.
I live near a river and always count myself lucky, I expect you do to.
Happy Sunday Grace.
That's the way to do it. Fire off dozens of shots. The odds will be in your favor you'll have a few decent ones. Aren't we happy were not using film?! Great action shots. I like those Hoodies.
ReplyDeleteI love these Common Mergansers, (Goosanders lol).
ReplyDeleteI think my favourites though are the Hooded Mergansers. Beautiful looking birds.
Great job getting shots of the mergansers, Grace. I like your persistence!
ReplyDeleteLovely images Grace.. You have some beautiful birds on your river.
ReplyDeleteI love the thought of your drive by shooting.
I hope your bad weather is over.
Take care.
Hello Grace,
ReplyDeleteYou have taken some nice pictures of ducks and I know it is not easy to photograph birds of any kind!
So these are nice shots!
Have a nice Sunday and week,
Louise
Nice photos. Let's hope winter will make a swift retreat. Even though we had a mild winter here in Western New York, I'm ready for warm weather and bulbs blooming.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you hung in there and got these shots...I love looking at your pictures of these wonderful animals...so beautiful and so graceful.....
ReplyDeleteLove your Hoodies - and that "raspberry" was awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteNice! Let's hope the weather doesn't totally confuse the migrating birds and the emerging spring plants, and I really hope that the awful storms are at an end.
ReplyDeleteGrace, these are lovely pictures you have shared. The one of the duck "giving a raspberry" is a riot. The river is so serene. What a beautiful place!! Thank you, for sharing. Take care.
ReplyDeletethose are terrific pictures!!
ReplyDeleteit made me laugh to see the flared head on that little duck...but then i was REALLY laughing when i saw the shot you took of the 'raspberry' duck!!!! hahahahahaa....THAT is hysterical!! what a shot!! it's priceless!!
looks like it was a FUN day!!
Those are lovely photos Grace. Great action shots too.
ReplyDeleteGrace, how lucky we have been indeed. Personally, I don't have any blogger friends in the affected states where last week's tornadoes hit. We only have an overload of rain for several days, an inconvenience but far from devastating.
ReplyDeleteLove your ducky shots! Looking at warm temps here today. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteNice to see spring is on the way. Someone here told me they heard geese the other day! We've had a couple of -12C nights so I'm thinking they misjudged their arrival my a week!
ReplyDelete