First winter Common Merganser on the Bear River – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
On my last two trips up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge I’ve stopped long enough to photograph a first winter Common Merganser on the Bear River. I haven’t been seeing Common Mergansers on the ponds close to where I live or anywhere in northern Utah in large numbers. These diving ducks are birds I usually only see during the colder months of the year and I have been missing them.
Perhaps the Common Mergansers didn’t need to fly this far south so far this winter to find open water and food. I really don’t know why I am not seeing as many of them as I typically do during the winter. Consequently when I have seen Common Mergansers this winter my hope has been to get them in my viewfinder and take a few images of them before they fly off.
First winter Common Merganser floating by – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
This first winter Common Merganser has been cooperative both times I have see him. I’ve been able to take photos of the young drake paddling around, floating by and looking wonderful in the morning light shining on him and the river.
There are still a few weeks of winter left before spring arrives and these mergansers take off for their breeding grounds. I hope that a few show up at my local pond so that I can relax and enjoy observing and photographing them.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Common Merganser photos plus facts and information about this species.
This is great. You have a great eye for photography.
I can’t put it any better than Wally did. 🙂
Fantastic combination of subject, water reflecting on his body and overall rich tones of the water’s surface reflecting the habitat.
Very nice, Mia.
How I wish that these beauties were ‘common’ here.
I love mergansers. I saw a lot last time I went up but they were all so flighty. I couldn’t even get close.