Waterfowl

A female Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) mixes Punk feathers with Goth eyes.A pair of these ducks were hanging out around Pier 5 the other day. Constant diving did not seem to plaster those stiff head feathers down for long.A Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata) was preening between Pier 5 and the ruins of Pier 4.The throat is clearly not red; this bird still has its non-breeding winter plumage. Loon are excellent divers but, with their feet set far back on their body, are quite awkward on land. They pretty much only come ashore to nest, in weedy northern lakes, unless they are ill, so things like preening, which ducks will do on the ground, are performed on the water.