I spotted this duck last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Virginia. At first I was certain that it was a female Hooded Merganser, but the bill seemed extra long and the coloration different from others I had seen.
I asked some birding experts in a Facebook group for assistance with identification and they informed me that it is a female Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator), a species that spends its summers in Canada and its winters in coastal areas.
The sky was covered with clouds and lighting was limited when I took these shots, which made it tough to capture the details of this duck, which was located a pretty good distance from me. The second image gives a good view of the Red-breasted Merganser, but I personally am drawn even more to the “artsy” first image.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
The first image looks like an art print, Mike. I like it a lot.
I think that you described well, Dan, why I like it too. Sometimes I complain when the sky is white and overcast, but in this case I think that helped give the image a certain artsy feel.