It was almost exactly a year ago that I photographed my first Hooded Merganser ducks in Oviedo, finding them in a local pond on my first try.
This year it took several visits to that same pond before I came across these wonderful little ducks again, but the extra effort was worth it.
These birds with their striking collapsible crests are seen year-round through most of the eastern U.S. but they’re only in Florida during winter months.
Males and females look very different. The guys sport stark black and white coloring with their signature hoods and bright yellow eyes, while the females are brown and gray with partial yellow beaks, cinnamon crests that remind me of the late Tina Turner’s hair and reddish-brown eyes.
It was definitely fun to see them in the area again.
