On a rainy and overcast day on March 7, 2026 I traveled to Northerly Island, not expecting to be able to find any interesting birds. However, even though this was my first visit, I discovered a water bird that I was aware of through my study, but not in -person. Northerly Island was formerly known as Meigs Field under which mayor Richard J. Daley repurposed it as an entertainment venue and sanctuary.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a male and female Red-Breasted Merganser visiting a well-known migratory bird sanctuary. Normally found on salt water in lagoons and bays. They are less common on inland lakes. The Red-Breasted Merganser feeds on small fish in shallow water and sometimes hunts in small groups.
To my amusement, the adult female captured a small fish and was vigorously chased by the adult male Red-Breasted Merganser. This drama played out for several minutes because the fish was too difficult to swallow. However, the male was insistently attempting to steal the fish meal from the female. The meaty prize was finally consumed by the rightful owner. This may not be one of my best photos, but I was very excited to find this species while on a 36 degree rainy weather day in Chicago.
Exif:Canon EOS R6, Canon RF 200 800, Hand Held, 1/2000, f/9, ISO 640
7 comments posted
Tom Buckard
Ted, very good full action image. Some may say it is out of focus, but to me you were showing and achieved slight motion blur without loosing the identity of the Mergansers. Very well done. Posted: 04/08/2026 16:08:18
Ted Evans
Tom
The weather in the Midwest wasn't ideal for the coming migration. I was fortunate to get a bird that was new to me at one of the few migratory spots in the area. I was quite a distance from the action, but I still was excited to add this image to the digital group for this month. Posted: 04/09/2026 12:53:34
Michael Braunstein
I owned that lens for a few days and sold it. I am not sure if that was the problem with the sharpness and detail but I am guessing it was. For the situation I think you did a great jog of the capture. As an aside I use the 100-500 a lot with an extender and it is sharp. Posted: 04/09/2026 13:10:03
Leslie Larson
Okay, I'll be the downer here. It is always fun to find a new bird. But, your mergansers are not as colorful as in real life, perhaps you could enhance those? You need to give more room on the right side for the ducks to swim into. You might crop off some of the foreground water as it's out of focus. Good capture of the female with the fish showing they are fishing ducks. Posted: 04/09/2026 16:15:20
Jim Overfield
Ted, nice action shot with one duck and its catch and the other about ready to steal the fish from the other. Posted: 04/13/2026 16:31:57
Veysi Arcagok
The photo is beautiful, congratulations! I think removing noise is very easy with Adobe Photoshop 2026. If you don't use it, I recommend it to you as well. Your photo might look even better. Posted: 04/13/2026 17:27:36
Mike Cowdrey
A good capture of the Merganser pair. In UK they are known as Goosanders and come south of their home in Scotland early in the year. I don't think you need all the water below the birds, and I would suggest a crop. Posted: 04/16/2026 10:28:26
