Early bird—Scene II

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Early bird—Scene II

January 3, 2015 by Mike Powell

Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light? Peering through a break in the bushes, I could just barely make out the unmistakeable shape of a male Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) as he slowly paddled away from the shore of a small pond at my local marshland park.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, dawn, Hooded Merganser, Huntley Meadows Park, Lophodytes cucullatus, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on January 4, 2015 at 1:00 am | Reply svtakeiteasy

Love the unusual bird (we don’t have them downunder) and the pattern on the water!
- on January 4, 2015 at 4:47 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  These ducks are very unusual looking and fascinating to watch. I love it when the light is coming from a direction that lets me catch reflections in the water, which usually adds some additional interest to an image.
on January 4, 2015 at 1:19 am | Reply Lyle Krahn

I am always amused when I see the early bird title. I know that’s a scene I can only live vicariously through you!
- on January 4, 2015 at 4:39 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I tend to be an early riser and enjoy the solitude of the early morning.
on January 4, 2015 at 7:31 am | Reply donna213

They are so cute. We get them here too. I just don’t visit them as early. Kudos to you for the early shot.
on January 4, 2015 at 8:12 am | Reply Sue

I love the colors of the ripples in the water
- on January 4, 2015 at 8:23 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Sue. The sunrise that morning was not spectacular, but the colors were soft and beautiful.
on January 4, 2015 at 5:54 pm | Reply Ginny Alfano

I agree with Sue, the color of the water is amazing. Plus, the Hooded Merganser is my favorite of the Mergs. They’re just so cute!
- on January 4, 2015 at 6:16 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  The Hooded Mergansers are so unusual and so cute. I love them (even though they are very skittish and I usually see them as they are swimming or flying away).