Hooded Merganser with offspring, Green Island Wetlands, May 2016
One of the most memorable moments this year out in the field chasing the wildlife was the encounter of a female Hooded Merganser with her offspring. Everybody likes a picture of young ducklings but it was the story telling gestures of the female that led to my best photos that afternoon in the Green Island Wetlands next to the Mississippi River here in eastern Iowa. I have written about this here in the blog but I think there is nothing wrong including another photo of this great moment in my 2016 retrospect series.