Mallards and Mergansers

There were quite a few beautiful mallards travelling together - both males and females in the group, Could these two be mother and daughter? Or are there wide discrepancies in the same age group? I suppose either is a real possibility, especially in this cold weather. Aren't they lovely, though?


There were even more sparkly green heads of the male mallards than there were females.


This is an artistic photo of ice on the river. (comments not required!)


I have a theory about my little hooded merganser friend. He didn't flee from me until he was joined by his mate, an act that took all of 2 seconds. I was looking up at a hawk for a sec, and when I turned back they were both running across the water and into the sky. If I ever get a shot like that I will never whine about being a lousy photography again!


She could have been anywhere in that dark and thorny riverbank.


Seriously, she could be hiding in plain sight! If you look at this picture in large or original size on flickr, it almost looks as if he is calling out - although not with a sound I could hear. When I turned by back, they were just about airborne and long gone a second later.