This time of year, one of my favourite birds to photograph is the Hooded Merganser. Males of this species have ornate colouring and conspicuous crests. Unlike many species of birds, these small diving duck begin their courtship ritual in the fall. Males make a frog-like croaking noise and use clownish postures to attract the attention of females. Hooded Mergansers can be very shy, so I was lucky to capture this image today at Parc Centenaire William Cosgrove.
