The Hooded Merganser (<i><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Lophodytes_cucullatus" title="Lophodytes cucullatus">Lophodytes cucullatus</a></i>) female has a stunning crest, which she is not shy about using to attract the male. Mergansers around here seem to prefer smaller bodies of fresh water, rather than open expanses. This lady was strutting her stuff at Gem Pond in Mill Valley, which is located behind the Sewer Treatment Plant at the end of Sycamore Avenue in Mill Valley. The dense foliage around the pond makes for nice reflections. Have also seen the males there, and will show them separately.
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/9062441@N02">Len Blumin</a> from Mill Valley, California, United States
CC BY 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/9062441@N02/2111555645/">Hooded Merganser</a>