I spotted this Hooded Merganser couple (Lophodytes cucullatus) last Friday at Huntley Meadows Park enjoying a few quiet moments together.
The male duck has a wide-eyed goofy look on his face that makes me think of a teenager who has fallen in love. He worked up the courage to ask the cute girl on a date and she actually said yes. She’s playing it cool, but he can hardly contain his excitement.
It’s springtime and love is in the air.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
A ruffled little couple there Mike. I like the photo. You captured that goofy face pretty well.
He has that look that says “OMG she is following me… Don’t look back!” Very nice shot Mike!
Thanks, Chris. You and I had very much the same thoughts about the photo. As you can probably tell, I was focusing my attention (and my camera) on the male and the female is not quite in focus. I am ok with that, however, because the expression of the male is the most interesting aspect of the image,
Wonderful photo. I saw a merganser couple in a marina here a couple of weeks ago. I was so surprised. We do see the occasional loon or merganser, but it’s rare. I think it was two years ago that I saw other mergansers. They’re delightful, no question about that.
That’s a really nice shot, Mike. We’re they diving prior to the shot? Feathers look wet and ruffled.
The story does fit the scene!
And I suspect that you may be old enough, Allen, to remember the song. 🙂
Yes!