I didn't take this pic - it's from wikimedia.
8 or 9 hooded mergansers swam by the dock this morning, heading north (huh?). I’ve seen the hooded mergansers before, but the males (ones with white and black heads) were displaying in full regalia today. It was spectacular! The image on this post is from wikimedia, which I guess is like wikipedia except visual. Nice pic though. I hope it stays online longer than the last one I linked to.
Anyway, they are really cartoony looking birds, and their behaviour as well – quick, skittish, reactive. Those are cartoony qualities right?
I did not get my own pic since it’s raining and they were diving for fish frequently, like most of the birds I’ve seen on the lake lately. They were diving like every 5-10 seconds after surfacing, looking for fish or whatever palatable salad lurked under the surface.
With the pending winter and occasional thin frozen layer on the lake, I thought I’d seen the last lake bird 2 days ago, but they keep showing up. Maybe they’re transients, stopping for a brief fishing trip during their trip south.
