Under-Appreciated: The Hooded Merganser Photo Essay

By Bret Amundson

I’ve spent a lot of time this spring chasing the brightly-colored hooded merganser from pond to pond, hoping to snap that elusive close up shot. Something worthy of giving respect to this “fish duck.”

While mergansers aren’t considered the best table fare and most hunters will hesitate from pulling the trigger, the hooded merganser will be cause for the occasional exception. From the bright, white hood to the contrasting browns and blacks across it’s back.

Western Minnesota is chock full of these each spring and after camouflaging myself up and building a small natural ground blind, I was able to get close enough to snap a couple photos of this wary bird.

Normally anytime I’d gotten close they’d spook and fly across to the relative safety of the far shoreline, with the exception of this guy, who felt battling the wind was more work than eluding my camera.