Hooded Mergansers

A pair of Common Mergansers
colored pencil
4 February 2013

I spotted these guys yesterday as I walked a long route around the perimeter of the Elm Bank Reservation near my house. In my limited experience, Hooded Mergansers are shy and avoid curious observers like me. But this pair drifted down with the river's current and ignored me. I only had a few minutes to make a drawing. I like how the tree reflections create a strong graphic framework that seems to accentuate the organic, drifting movement of the birds.

More information at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.