{"id":5501,"date":"2013-01-21T18:37:57","date_gmt":"2013-01-21T23:37:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5501"},"modified":"2013-01-22T09:45:28","modified_gmt":"2013-01-22T14:45:28","slug":"hooded-merganser-at-quiet-waters-park-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5501","title":{"rendered":"Hooded Merganser at Quiet Waters Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D5501&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<p>The sky was cloudy with fog at dawn, but it was rapidly clearing by 8:00, and I went to Thomas Point to see if the ducks had returned in any numbers. They hadn&#8217;t. A couple of Swans flew over, and a few Scaup and Bufflehead were rafted, but it didn&#8217;t look promising.<br \/>\nI went to nearby Quiet Waters and did much better.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5502\" style=\"width: 722px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5502\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5502\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5502\" data-attachment-id=\"5502\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5502\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?fit=712%2C564&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"712,564\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Tundra Swan \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tundra Swans are large,  beautiful birds. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?fit=584%2C463&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?resize=584%2C463&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Tundra Swan \" width=\"584\" height=\"463\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?w=712&amp;ssl=1 712w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?resize=150%2C118&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Tundra-Swan-18.jpg?resize=378%2C300&amp;ssl=1 378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5502\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tundra Swans are large,  beautiful birds.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5506\" style=\"width: 646px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5506\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5506\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5506\" data-attachment-id=\"5506\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5506\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?fit=636%2C440&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"636,440\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bufflehead \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#8217;s fun to try catching these ducks in flight.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?fit=584%2C404&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?resize=584%2C404&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bufflehead \" width=\"584\" height=\"404\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?w=636&amp;ssl=1 636w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?resize=150%2C103&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-56.jpg?resize=433%2C300&amp;ssl=1 433w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5506\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It&#8217;s fun to try catching these ducks in flight.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5508\" style=\"width: 483px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5508\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5508\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5508\" data-attachment-id=\"5508\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5508\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?fit=473%2C341&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"473,341\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Red Breasted Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;I saw this Red Breasted Merganser  at a distance, and when I walked up or a closer shot, he had disappeared.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?fit=473%2C341&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?resize=473%2C341&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Red Breasted Merganser \" width=\"473\" height=\"341\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?w=473&amp;ssl=1 473w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?resize=150%2C108&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Red-Breasted-Merganser-7.jpg?resize=416%2C300&amp;ssl=1 416w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5508\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I saw this Red Breasted Merganser  at a distance, and when I walked up for a closer shot, he had disappeared.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5510\" style=\"width: 1018px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5510\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5510\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5510\" data-attachment-id=\"5510\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5510\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?fit=1008%2C660&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1008,660\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bufflehead \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This Bufflehead hen was travelling with her mate and a raft of Lesser Scaup.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?fit=584%2C382&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?resize=584%2C382&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bufflehead \" width=\"584\" height=\"382\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?w=1008&amp;ssl=1 1008w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?resize=150%2C98&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Bufflehead-57.jpg?resize=458%2C300&amp;ssl=1 458w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5510\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Bufflehead hen was travelling with her mate and a raft of Lesser Scaup.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5512\" style=\"width: 2074px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5512\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5512\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5512\" data-attachment-id=\"5512\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5512\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?fit=2064%2C2024&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2064,2024\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Robin\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A large flock of Robins was foraging on the water&amp;#8217;s edge.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?fit=584%2C584&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?resize=584%2C573&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Robin\" width=\"584\" height=\"573\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?w=2064&amp;ssl=1 2064w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?resize=150%2C147&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?resize=305%2C300&amp;ssl=1 305w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robin-34.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5512\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A large flock of Robins was foraging on the water&#8217;s edge.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5517\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5517\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5517\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5517\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?fit=656%2C488&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"656,488\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?fit=584%2C434&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?resize=584%2C434&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"434\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?w=656&amp;ssl=1 656w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?resize=150%2C111&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-14.jpg?resize=403%2C300&amp;ssl=1 403w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5518\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5518\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5518\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5518\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?fit=1044%2C640&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1044,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?fit=584%2C358&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?resize=584%2C358&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"358\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5518\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?w=1044&amp;ssl=1 1044w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?resize=150%2C91&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-15.jpg?resize=489%2C300&amp;ssl=1 489w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5523\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5523\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5523\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5523\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?fit=484%2C332&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"484,332\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser (Hen)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?fit=484%2C332&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?resize=484%2C332&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser (Hen)\" width=\"484\" height=\"332\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?w=484&amp;ssl=1 484w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?resize=150%2C102&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-18.jpg?resize=437%2C300&amp;ssl=1 437w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5525\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5525\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5525\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5525\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?fit=676%2C428&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"676,428\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser (Hen)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?fit=584%2C370&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=584%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser (Hen)\" width=\"584\" height=\"370\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?w=676&amp;ssl=1 676w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=150%2C94&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-19.jpg?resize=473%2C300&amp;ssl=1 473w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5527\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5527\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5527\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5527\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?fit=1220%2C676&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1220,676\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?fit=584%2C324&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=584%2C324&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"324\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?w=1220&amp;ssl=1 1220w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=150%2C83&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?resize=500%2C277&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-20.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5514\" style=\"width: 786px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5514\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5514\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5514\" data-attachment-id=\"5514\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5514\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?fit=776%2C612&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"776,612\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;I&amp;#8217;ve been taking a regular route through the woods at Quiet Waters in order to see more ducks. I saw this Hooded Merganser  and his mates at a distance, and was able to get closer by walking an extra quarter mile.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?fit=584%2C461&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?resize=584%2C461&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"461\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?w=776&amp;ssl=1 776w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?resize=150%2C118&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-13.jpg?resize=380%2C300&amp;ssl=1 380w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5514\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I&#8217;ve been taking a regular route through the woods at Quiet Waters in order to see more ducks. I saw this Hooded Merganser  and his mates at a distance, and was able to get closer by walking an extra quarter mile.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5521\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5521\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5521\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5521\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?fit=1576%2C824&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1576,824\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?fit=584%2C305&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?resize=584%2C305&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"305\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5521\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?w=1576&amp;ssl=1 1576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?resize=150%2C78&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?resize=500%2C261&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-17.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5520\" style=\"width: 3590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5520\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5520\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5520\" data-attachment-id=\"5520\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5520\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?fit=3580%2C2060&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3580,2060\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Takeoff is best described as, &amp;#8220;Explosive.&amp;#8221; &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?fit=584%2C584&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=584%2C336&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser\" width=\"584\" height=\"336\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?w=3580&amp;ssl=1 3580w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=150%2C86&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?resize=500%2C287&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-16.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5520\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Takeoff is best described as, &#8220;Explosive.&#8221;<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5528\" style=\"width: 1006px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5528\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5528\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5528\" data-attachment-id=\"5528\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5528\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?fit=996%2C1016&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"996,1016\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hooded Merganser \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;When these Hooded Mergansers weren&amp;#8217;t actively feeding, they were grooming. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?fit=584%2C596&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=584%2C596&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hooded Merganser \" width=\"584\" height=\"596\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5528\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?w=996&amp;ssl=1 996w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=147%2C150&amp;ssl=1 147w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Hooded-Merganser-21.jpg?resize=294%2C300&amp;ssl=1 294w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5528\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">When these Hooded Mergansers weren&#8217;t actively feeding, they were grooming.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5530\" style=\"width: 1302px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5530\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5530\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5530\" data-attachment-id=\"5530\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=5530\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?fit=1292%2C952&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1292,952\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Great Blue Heron \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This Great Blue Heron  flew into the scene as I was photographing the Mergansers.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?fit=584%2C430&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?resize=584%2C430&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Great Blue Heron \" width=\"584\" height=\"430\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?w=1292&amp;ssl=1 1292w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?resize=150%2C110&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?resize=407%2C300&amp;ssl=1 407w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Great-Blue-Heron-95.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-5530\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Great Blue Heron  flew into the scene as I was photographing the Mergansers.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D5501&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sky was cloudy with fog at dawn, but it was rapidly clearing by 8:00, and I went to Thomas Point to see if the ducks had returned in any numbers. They hadn&#8217;t. A couple of Swans flew over, and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=5501\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mybirdingday"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2xu3W-1qJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5501"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5535,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5501\/revisions\/5535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}