Diving Mergansers!
Today’s post is a break from New Zealand - still working on those for you! Yesterday afternoon I was at Wellfleet Harbor and I had a blast watching 3 red breasted mergansers diving! This type of merganser is about 20 inches in length and has a slim long body for diving and they have a serrated bill.
Lorraine and I had seen them a couple of days earlier almost in this exact spot. Yesterday it all lined up - they were closer to the pier - calm waters, gorgeous clear sky and the angel of the sun behind me was just right to try to capture them diving! I have tried to do this many times without success… until yesterday! I have wanted to capture their bodies going underwater. They motor along the top of the water searching for little snacks beneath the water. All of a sudden they will see something, then propel their bodies forward and slightly up for a perfect angled dive to try to catch their snack! We love watching them do this.
I set up in one spot along the pier and waited hoping they would get a little closer - and they did! They kept paddling around near some pilings and then diving and popping back up!! While I was watching they were unsuccessful capturing anything but I am sure that they did once I left as they kept at it.
I hope that you enjoy - Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Here we go with the first dive!
Then the second merganser in line performed its dive!
And then the third one popped up right in front of me for a quick second!
And then it took its turn diving!
The first one came back around to give me this last shot!