Diving Ducks Red-breasted Merganser diving… A diving duck is one that disappears just as I’m about to snap a photo. Now you see it, now you don’t. Nevertheless, with perseverance, I managed to get photos of many different diving ducks above water… Redhead with two “Bluebills “ Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) These are common winter visitors on Taylor’s Creek and in other local estuaries. Wearing winter plumage, the male Red-breasted Merganser is distinctive with his long slender bill and red eyes, as shown in this slideshow… Male Red-breasted MerganserRed-breasted Merganser PairFemale Red-breasted MerganserNote the spikey feathers…Rare moment out of the waterMale Red-breasted Merganser Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Flocks of these small diving ducks usually spend the winter on Calico Creek. The male Hooded Merganser is a striking bird with its black and white plumage and yellow eyes. The hood is collapsible… Hooded Merganser maleHooded Merganser pairHooded Merganser pairHooded Merganser FemaleHooded Merganser maleHooded Merganser with hood up Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) Typically, Ruddy Ducks, being social creatures, mingle with other diving and dabbling ducks. They are small ducks and their plumage is ruddy only during breeding season. Note the scoop-like bill and upright tail feathers in this slideshow… Male Ruddy Duck in winter plumage.Female Ruddy DuckWow! Ruddy Duck breeding maleSpringtime male Redhead (Aythya americana) A duck that’s easy to recognize, the Redhead winters here on various freshwater ponds… Redhead maleNote the steep forehead of theRedheadRedhead femaleRedhead flockRedhead female Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) Take a good look at the Ring-necked Duck. Where’s the ring around the neck? Believe it or not, there is a ring, but it is a brownish color that’s difficult to distinguish from the dark plumage… Male Ring-necked DuckRing-necked ducksIs that the brown neck ring?Female Ring-necked Duck Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) Another pretty winter resident, the Bufflehead male has a black and white body with a white patch that wraps around his head. The female is dark, with a small white patch on her face… Bufflehead pairBufflehead maleBufflehead female Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) Often called “Bluebill” for obvious reasons, the Lesser Scaup male also has a glossy black head and yellow eyes… Lesser Scaup maleLesser Scaup maleLesser Scaup femaleLesser ScaupLesser Scaup Before spring arrives, these winter ducks begin their migration northward, often flying hundreds of miles, returning to their breeding grounds. “Poetry is a sky dark with a wild-duck migration.” (CARL SANDBURG) For more photographs of ducks… Puddle Ducks >> In Praise of the Mallard >> Ducks on a California Lake >> Please follow and like: Share this:FacebookXLike this:Like Loading... Post navigation Puddle DucksThe Not-Ducks