Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) are among my favorite ducks, and I especially love the freaky hairstyle of the females, like this one that I spotted this past Friday at the a small pond in Kingstowne, a suburban community in Northern Virginia near where I live.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

How wonderful! Great capture, Mike!
Thanks, Dina.
I can never seem to get enough of the mergansers. This photo is a joy, Mike.
Thanks, Jet.
She’s a beauty, and the glassy ripples have a beauty of their own too! Really beautiful!
The water is absolutely fantastic.
Thanks, Nina. The light was so beautiful when I took those shots that the water seemed wonderful, relatively still and with beautiful reflections.