Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Common Merganser Male

 Male common merganser (Mergus meganser)

One common merganser was swimming in the river with a multitude of mallards and Canada geese.  During the winter months, mergansers usually mix with Goldeneyes, Buffleheads and other fish-eating ducks, but last Thursday this merganser was hobnobbing with geese and dabblers.

Are you looking at me?

I wish the sun had been out so you could see that his head is actually a dark iridescent green and not black. Also, in better light you could see that his bill is serrated.   But at least even in dull light, you can see how handsome he is.

Canada goose and common merganser

Here you can see the size of a male common merganser in comparison to an average-sized Canada goose.  Mergansers are large ducks.

Stretching

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

45 comments:

Judy said...

I can tell he has a green head, he's pretty. I love it when ducks do their stretching.

Kate said...

A very handsome bird!

Darla said...

How handsome, not Common at all, LOL!

Darla

William Kendall said...

I can see glimpses of green in is head in that first shot.

It is a big duck.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

oh, i love the green feathers on the brain-o there. what a gorgeous bird. ( :

•°°• IcyBC •°°• said...

He is definitely very handsome!

Pride In Photos Beauty said...

I love how you were able to capture them side by side...they are huge...beautiful creatures.

Rebecca said...

Great series - love the last shot!

Our photos said...

What a beautiful duck!!!

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

That's a Goosander over here. They'll be on some of our lakes and flooded quarries right now too. Handsome birds indeed!

Maggid said...

THIS is one handsome duck.

Hey, THANKS!!!

Karen said...

He is a handsome bird! Love that last shot!

TexWisGirl said...

really beautiful! would love to see one of these in real life. :)

Jenny said...

What an expressive eye this attractive fellow has. Seems to get along well with the geese.

DeniseinVA said...

He is a handsome one. Great photos!

Mersad said...

Beautiful shots of a beautiful bird!

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

Gail Dixon said...

A very striking and beautiful duck! I hate when the light is not cooperative, but you still have some nice shots here. :)

Stephanie said...

A very handsome duck, great shots.

Anonymous said...

That is a very large duck! Pretty too.

Halcyon said...

He is a good-looking fellow. I think he's giving you the eye. :)

Unknown said...

Beautiful birds!

Maude Lynn said...

Gorgeous shots! I love that last one.

Ruth Hiebert said...

He is a good looking fella even on a cloudy day. I didn't realize they were quite that large. This is a good comparison shot.

Rose said...

I wish I could see the real colors, too. It is amazing what some animals/birds really look like when you can see them in sunlight.

His bill looks like it is so strong. I guess he is just a social butterfly the way he is hobnobbing with everyone.

mick said...

A very handsome fellow! and a great series of photos.

Carole M. said...

wow - they're beautiful!

RedPat said...

He's a big handsome guy!

Ela said...

Wow, wonderful pictures, your models are beautiful

Gordon said...

Lovely clear shots,
All the best Gordon.

eileeninmd said...

The Mergansers are one of my favorites to see here in the winter. Great shots! Have a happy week!

Judy said...

He is so gorgeous!

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Awesome shots EG, just awesome!

Lisa Gordon said...

What a handsome fella he is!

Randy said...

Interesing color combo.

Carletta said...

Thanks for explaining his color. I would have guessed black. The next to last image I can see a hint of green. That color combination makes him quite stunning.
Great photos!

LONDONLULU said...

Yup, I'm looking at you!...Because you're a great-looking bird!:)

Jack said...

Who are you calling common?

stardust said...

Thanks to your remark about the color of his head, I could pay attention and saw green color. He’s so charming! You captured nicely the moment of the two bird side by side. Have happy December ahead.

Yoko

Judy said...

He is a big guy, next to the goose!!!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

They are big fellows and handsome as well! Love that last picture especially.

Esther Joy said...

Beautiful shots! We've had some ducks stop by here on their way south - probably stopped in because of the winter storm. They were so "flighty" that I couldn't get close enough to get a good shot with the lens I have.

Susan Anderson said...

Your blog has gotten me so much more interested in birds of all kinds.

Thanks!

=)

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hi EG. Boy he is handsome. great shots of him.

NatureFootstep said...

strange if it was alone with the geese. They usually comes in small flocks.

Jenn Jilks said...

Lovely birds! We're so frozen!

Friends who encourage me

Blog Archive

About Me

My photo
East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.