On this day, female Hoodies were far better fisherbirds than males.
1/2500, f/9, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
A little over three weeks ago I was lucky enough to find four Hooded Mergansers that tolerated my presence for quite a while. Even though I saw no evidence that they were pairing up yet for the breeding season, they stuck fairly tightly together as a group of four.
Even so, I was lucky to get a few shots with all four of them in the frame because…
1/2500, f/9, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
one or more of them was usually underwater looking for fish. Here one of the males is in the process of diving.
1/3200, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
For some reason, on that day I only saw females catch fish. It wasn’t because the males weren’t trying but they seemed to have no luck at all. This female wasn’t particularly close when she popped up to the surface but she obviously had a fish, another weather loach. All the fish I saw caught were loaches.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
When this female came up with another fish she was far away from the male but she immediately steamed toward him, as if her intention was to give the fish to him. She was making no attempt to swallow it herself.
But as she got close to him she…
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
chugged right on by, as if she was teasing him and/or showing off. He looks surprised.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
To me he seems to be perplexed by the apparent snub but that’s probably just my personal, anthropomorphic reaction.
Just for the heck of it, I decided to include two photos of a Hoodie with a fish that I took at the same location a little over a year ago.
1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This photo of a female (immature?) Hoodie was taken immediately after she popped to the surface with a loach. The fish is still very much alive and struggling to escape.
1/2500, f/5.6, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Her efforts to stun/kill the fish prior to swallowing it produced an unusually shaped water splash that caught my attention, especially in combination with its reflection. I don’t recall ever seeing a water splash quite like this one.
It’s been several weeks since I’ve seen a Hoodie and I suspect I may not see another one this winter unless it turns super cold again. Which makes me appreciate these photos even more.
Ron
Sensational series, thanks for sharing!
Always love the way water moves, splashes, and reacts to disturbances! The second shot reminds me of the Abbey Road album cover — except for the one diving Hoodie. 😉
Marty, I have a couple of other shots that would probably work better as an Abbey Road reminder.
I don’t know — it’s kind of fun to imagine it’s Ringo “ass-over-teakettle.” 😈😂
Based on order, it WOULD be Ringo.
Fun! Perhaps the females are building up “reserves” for the breeding season ahead. I thought the “splash” was a piece of ice! OOPS!
Well, ice is still water. You weren’t too far off… 🙂
In seeing the last photo, my first thought was that she was trying to stuff it in a ziplock plastic bag — then realized the “bag” was a splash of water. Very unusual photo — thanks for taking and sharing.
Thanks for appreciating that unusual watersplash, Kent. I always find stuff like that in my photos to be interesting.
I love all of your posts and check them every day. I’m no expert, but I believe the last two pics are of an immature male hoody, based on eye color. Females have brown eyes, males have yellow eyes.
Cary, I believe you’re correct about the sex and relative age of that last bird. Thanks for explaining why.
It certainly looks like a reaction to the female steaming right past him with a choice bit of food. Like a dog and its tail, those hoods are saying something.
“Like a dog and its tail, those hoods are saying something”
I kinda think you’re right, MIchael.
Great shots Ron. You showed us Hoodies before with fish and really was interesting to me because to the best of my memory I have never seen one with a fish and over 17 years at five different lakes here I have seen them countless times, but never with a fish.
Thank you, Everett. Hoodies eat a lot of things besides fish, including aquatic insects and crustaceans. They’re particularly fond of crayfish.
The crayfish mention reminded me that I have seen that, but then remembered it was a Pied-billed Grebe not a Hoodie
They like them too, maybe even more.