By: Sally Siko, Admin Birdwatching N.C.

Absolutely thrilled to see Hooded Mergansers during a recent trip Umstead Park!
Such a cool looking bird 🙂
These diving ducks sport a distinctive fan-like hood on the back of their heads. An unmistakable sight when picking them out in a mixed flock.
A year round resident of North Carolina, Hooded Mergansers are found on freshwater lakes, wooded wetlands and tidal shallows throughout the Tarheel State.

Mergansers take off by running across the water’s surface while flapping its wings. In flight, they hold their bill, head, body and tail straight. I photographed these lovely ducks on the wing as they raced to the northern end of Umstead Park Lake.
They moved fast on rapid wingbeats and were gone in a blink of an eye.

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatchingnc
Canon 5Ds