I love the “hairstyles” of the female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus). Sometimes the “hair” is circular, like an Afro of the 1960’s, sometimes it is more flattened, and occasionally it has a pointed peak.
Earlier in December I tried to photograph an elusive female Hooded Merganser. She never came close to shore and seemed to always be twisting and turning. Eventually I was able to capture some shots from a distance. As you look at the images, you will undoubtedly notice how the texture and color of the water and the lighting changed as I moved to different parts of the pond. For me, those variations add interest to shots that might look more humdrum with a more uniform background.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
What a fancy do! LOL! Thanks for the smile this morning. 🙂
First one is my favorite!
Thanks, Michael. Most of the time I lead with my favorite photo and this posting was no exception. (About the only time I do otherwise is when my favorite is a shot in portrait mode–the normal view in Reader cuts off those images in a way that I do not like.)
I understand. I have noticed that reader tends to put the last photo as the lead in multiple photos. Which is why when I have multiple photos either designate a lead photo or put the best one last.
Very Nice Mike! They are fun birds to photograph!
I like the last one where she looks like she is giving you the once over. 😉
Sweet… very punk