Steve snapped these hooded mergansers on a nearby pond – a real treat, given we see them so rarely. The adult males at right are in breeding plumage, and are already displaying courtship behaviors – bobbing their heads, stretching their necks, and generally thrashing about. Most mergansers feed on fish, but these little guys feed primarily on aquatic insects and crustaceans (crayfish and such), although they’ll eat small fish too. They’re uncommon breeders in California, and will probably go to Oregon and coastal Washington to nest and lay their eggs.
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