Photo 43604547, (c) Martin R. Lucas, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Martin R. Lucas

Attribution © Martin R. Lucas
some rights reserved
Uploaded by martinlucas martinlucas
Source iNaturalist
Associated observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

Observer

martinlucas

Date

June 29, 2019 07:17 AM CDT

Description

A pair of diving ducks on a small, clear water, sand bottomed pond in a wooded area (pines, mature hardwoods). This ID seemed a bit improbable to me, but I can't find anything else that matches. Pretty sure it's a breeding pair; old hollow trees are present nearby so the habitat seems right. No fish in this pond, but excellent water quality, abundant aquatic insects, tadpoles and such. Photos taken with a macro lens, so not too good but probably clear enough for a birder. However, I'm not an expert in birds and given the eclipse plumage here, please don't rely on this proposed ID until confirmed or corrected by an expert.

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