Snorkeling in Bodega Harbor

  

We spotted these snorkeling Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) in Bodega Harbor when leaving work today (18 March 2022).  Common Mergansers are fish-eaters and "visual pursuit predators" — when you see them swimming in this position, they're actively searching under water for prey:

 

 

 

Here's a closer look at the male:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the female:

 

 

 

Maybe they found some sticklebacks in the eelgrass?

Monet with merganser?

 

We took a short walk in the Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen this afternoon (23 November 2019).  There was nice fall light, and a view of a Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) in the lower pond.  The effect of the lighting and reflections reminded me of a Monet!

 

Afternoon reflections

 

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus), Abbotts Lagoon, 27 November 2015

Cruising the creek

 

Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) in Salmon Creek, 26 April 2014

Note that the male, with the greenish-black head, lacks a crest.  And the female, with a reddish-brown head, has a distinct white chin patch.

A small group of Common Mergansers was cruising along the creek, occasionally "snorkeling"— visually searching for prey (e.g., small fish) below the surface.

 

Several birds walked up onto a gravel bar and started to preen.  (I was impressed with their substantial legs and feet!  Don't they look strong?)

 

Common Mergansers have been documented nesting along the Russian River and Austin Creek, so perhaps they're starting to think about pairing up.

P.S.  Well, I wondered if it would happen, and now it has.  Life has thrown me a big enough curveball that I don't think I'll be able to keep up with a daily post right now.  It's my intent to keep posting when I can, but I wanted to let everyone know that it might not be as regular as it has been.  For those of you who subscribe to the blog e-mails, you'll still receive one whenever I post.  And of course, if you just check in to the Natural History of Bodega Head website every now and then, you'll see new messages whenever they get posted.  However, if you'd rather not wonder when there's going to be a new post, you can subscribe to the e-mails by scrolling to the bottom of the main page and looking for the section where it says "Follow by Email."  Just be sure to watch for the confirmation e-mail after you submit your address, as I've heard that it sometimes ends up in spam.