As I was focusing on a bird across the water, I detected some motion out of the corner of my eye—a small bird was zooming fast and low over the surface of the water in a flight path parallel to the bank on which I was standing.
I reacted as quickly as I could to track the bird and fire off a few shots and was surprised that I managed to capture some relatively sharp images of a female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). Although female Hoodies often have puffy hairstyles, this one had a more aerodynamic look while she was flying.
The angle at which I was shooting made the water the primary background for the images and somehow the water ended up looking like it had been painted by Monet. Luck and skill combined to help me capture these fun images.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Beautiful
Amazing shot!
Thanks, Victor.
Good catch, Mike!
Thanks, Sue.
These are great! I just love the color of the water in the lady pne. It’s always a treat to see Hooded Mergansers at Seneca Creek State Park in the winter. They are so shy, however, like the Buffleheads they tend to hang out with, that I never get a really satisfying look.