Rare Birds to Southern Arizona: Common Merganser

Southern Arizona is not exactly noted for its Rivers and Lakes. Yet being in the "flyway" it sometimes gets some rare water birds.

This Common Merganser was photographed at Santa Cruz Flats in an area of turf farms:

Common Merganser

Merganser

Continuing with Mergansers:

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser Male

Common Merganser Female

Common Merganser Male and Female

Best Wildlife Photos of 2016: Common Merganser

The Common Merganser is naturally -- uncommon to Southern Arizona yet occasionally found during the winter months. This one I photographed appropriately enough at Christine's "Alternate Universe." There was no water for miles, yet here a water bird usually only found in relatively deep water which enables it to dive for food. 

Male Common Merganser in non-breeding plumage

Fishing Central Oregon

Central Oregon has several wonderful lakes including, Harriett, Davis, and East. I remember camping at East Lake (maybe it was Davis -- can't remember that detail) but the campsite had showers. It was October so it was pretty chilly at night. I thought I'd warm up by taking a hot shower. I put 50 cents in the meter and jumped in. After about 2 minutes there was no hot water, just ice cold water, and there I was with soap all over me. I don't think I've taken a shower at a campground since  -- at least not in October.  The fishing though, was always good, at least for me. And, I got a few photos too. As I mentioned in an earlier post over the years I have either lost or deleted some of those old photos. But, I have managed to save a few that I like:

Mallards at East Lake

Common Mergansers at Davis Lake

Great Blue Heron at Dusk, Harriett Lake

Fine Art Wildlife Photography????

Fine Art Photography is in a completely different category of its own. I'll always remember a guest from Switzerland who stayed with us during the 2006 World Cup Soccer Games. Although a soccer fan, he was here working on a photo book with a working title of "The Ends of the Earth." He was in Southern Arizona to photograph Ghost Towns. To him, angles, composition, and lighting were key. When I checked out his website there were some absolutely amazing photographs of objects that I would have never thought to photograph.  With Fine Art photography, the photographer has to have an "eye" for seeing something others don't see. 

Side Note: The day he left, Switzerland was in the final. His plane didn't leave until late so we watched the game together in my office. (Other guests were arriving in his room that day). The match took five hours with the final score being 0-0 with Switzerland losing in a shootout after two overtime periods where neither team scored. I am sure there were people who found that game exciting. Switzerland was the only team in the tournament not to have conceded a goal during regulation time in any of their matches, yet still lost.

Okay, back to photography. I don't know whether there is such a thing as Fine Art Wildlife Photography. However, from time to time a wildlife photograph looks like art -- at least to me. Something about them, color, flowers, soft focus, that makes them look like paintings. Here are some examples:

Brewers Blackbird taken in Glacier National Park

Common Merganser taken on East Lake, Oregon

Harrier Hawk taken in Northeastern Oregon

House Finch taken here at the Azure Gate on a Mesquite Tree

Lesser Goldfinch taken here at the Azure Gate on a Pomegranate Tree

Anna's Hummingbird taken here at the Azure Gate

Anna's Hummingbird taken in Ash Canyon, Arizona

White Pelican taken on the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Mergansers

On to the Mergansers.  Although they are sea ducks, most of the mergansers prefer river and lake habitats, with only the Red-breasted Merganser being common at sea. Mergansers are fish-eaters and have serrated edges on their bills to help them grip their prey. Therefore, they are sometimes referred to as "sawbills." Since they feed on fish, they are often found in open water. Hooded Mergansers have a crest at the back of the head which can be expanded or contracted. I assume this is to make them look larger to predators, don't know. It may also be a sign of "distress" like a white tailed deer raising its tail. In adult males, this crest has a large white patch, the head is black and the sides of the duck are reddish brown. The adult female has a reddish crest, with much of the rest of the head and body a greyish-brown. They breed in swamps and wooded ponds on the northern half of the United States and Southern half of Canada. They prefer to nest in tree cavities near water much the same as the Wood Duck. Hooded Mergansers are short distance migrants and winter on ponds, lakes, and rivers that will not ice up.

Common Merganser Male

photo taken at Harriet Lake, Oregon

Common Merganser Female

photo taken at Davis Lake, Oregon

Hooded Merganser

photo taken at Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon

Red Breasted Merganser

Photo taken at Padilla Bay, Washington