Red-breasted Mergansers

 Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) non-breeding feathers

In many ways these birds look rather refined - thin body, nose in the air - except that every day is a "bad hair" day.  Sometimes they are a challenge to photograph as they suddenly dive underwater to swim and find fish, crustaceans and frogs.

 Taking off

For a few days in November, they settled in Oshawa Harbour.

 Flying into the harbour

In autumn we often see them in huge numbers.

Scared by a big machine and about to fly out of the harbour

Of the American merganser species, they breed farthest north and winter farthest south so they still had a long way to travel.

I am connecting to Stewart M's Wild Bird Wednesday HERE