{"id":33323,"date":"2015-11-25T05:42:18","date_gmt":"2015-11-25T12:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=33323"},"modified":"2025-09-12T08:12:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T13:12:37","slug":"red-breasted-merganser-portrait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/11\/25\/red-breasted-merganser-portrait\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-breasted Merganser Portrait"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-breastedRed-breasted Merganser close up – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 160, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

There have only been a few times that I have had the opportunity to get a Red-breasted Merganser portrait and each time it occurred in Florida.<\/p>\n

I was photographing with a friend at Fort De Soto County Park<\/span><\/a> in May of 2009 when we found a Red-breasted Merganser resting on a spit of sand right after it finished hunting for food.<\/p>\n

We were in the lagoon taking images of other birds and were able to slowly approach the merganser as it stretched, preened, and rested without causing it to become alarmed.<\/p>\n

I was able to see the fine details in its feathers, the serrated edge of its bill, and had a great view of its eye too.<\/p>\n

I enjoyed taking this Red-breasted Merganser portrait but most of all I felt honored that the bird allowed me into its world even for a short period of time.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red-breasted Merganser photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There has only been a few times that I have had the opportunity to get a Red-breasted Merganser portrait and each time it occurred in Florida. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,2000,133],"tags":[4004,4142,10608,4753,4705,4704,277,4046,140,2063],"class_list":["post-33323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-red-breasted-mergansers","tag-adult","tag-close-up","tag-costal","tag-diving-ducks","tag-merganser","tag-mergansers","tag-mergus-serrator","tag-portrait","tag-red-breasted-merganser","tag-waterfowl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1079.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-8Ft","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4906,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/04\/red-breasted-merganser-at-220mm\/","url_meta":{"origin":33323,"position":0},"title":"Red-breasted Merganser – At 220mm","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"You don't always need to have long focal lengths to get close up images, this image was taken with a moderately priced Nikkor 70-300mm VR at only 220mm and it is practically full frame.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Merganser on the shore of a tidal lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-mia-mcpherson-0993.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-mia-mcpherson-0993.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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diving into a wave on the Gulf Coast, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-breasted-merganser-wave-mia-mcpherson-8561.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-breasted-merganser-wave-mia-mcpherson-8561.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-breasted-merganser-wave-mia-mcpherson-8561.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/red-breasted-merganser-wave-mia-mcpherson-8561.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The weather outside hasn't been good for bird photography today but since I am always behind on editing I thought I'd process this Red-breasted Merganser image that I took in Florida a few years ago.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Merganser lifting off, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-2944.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-lift-off-mia-mcpherson-2944.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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