{"id":4906,"date":"2012-05-04T03:55:53","date_gmt":"2012-05-04T09:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=4906"},"modified":"2025-09-12T07:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:33:06","slug":"red-breasted-merganser-at-220mm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/04\/red-breasted-merganser-at-220mm\/","title":{"rendered":"Red-breasted Merganser – At 220mm"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Red-breasted Red-breasted Merganser on the shore of a tidal lagoon – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 160, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 220mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

You don’t always need to have long focal lengths to get close up images, this Red-breasted Merganser image was taken with a moderately priced Nikkor 70-300mm VR at only 220mm and it is practically full frame.<\/p>\n

How did I get an image of a wild\u00a0Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator<\/em>)\u00a0from so close?<\/p>\n

Patience:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I approached the bird very slowly from the water by sitting on my legs and shuffling them forward very slowly and keeping my appearance as small as possible.<\/p>\n

Observation:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Watching the bird carefully for any sign or alarm or distress. If I noticed the bird show either sign I stopped dead still and waited. When I could see clearly that the bird was relaxed I would inch forward.<\/p>\n

The series I have of this bird numbers over 100, it was so relaxed it preened while I photographed it.<\/p>\n

It also helped that the bird was in a location where it had become habituated to humans on the beach, that can help with shorter focal lengths.<\/p>\n

Then I retreated as slowly and as carefully as I approached it without disturbing the merganser. That felt awesome.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Taken at Fort De Soto County Park’s<\/span><\/a> north beach in Florida.<\/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":"

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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155451,"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":[11219,4004,4142,9351,4705,4704,277,11220,4246,4281,870,140,4156,2063],"class_list":["post-4906","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-70-300mm","tag-adult","tag-close-up","tag-lens","tag-merganser","tag-mergansers","tag-mergus-serrator","tag-moderately-priced","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-observation","tag-patience","tag-red-breasted-merganser","tag-resting","tag-waterfowl"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-mia-mcpherson-0993.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1h8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33323,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/11\/25\/red-breasted-merganser-portrait\/","url_meta":{"origin":4906,"position":0},"title":"Red-breasted Merganser Portrait","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"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.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Merganser close up, Fort De Soto County Park, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1079.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-close-up-mia-mcpherson-1079.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Common Merganser in Utah, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/common-merganser-mia-mcpherson-9392.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/common-merganser-mia-mcpherson-9392.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/common-merganser-mia-mcpherson-9392.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/common-merganser-mia-mcpherson-9392.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4265,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/02\/01\/red-breasted-merganser-lifting-off\/","url_meta":{"origin":4906,"position":2},"title":"Red-breasted Merganser Lifting Off","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 1, 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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26, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Near the auto tour route though I saw what appeared to be 250 to 300 Red-breasted Mergansers on the Bear River. I think it was the largest raft of Red-breasted Mergansers I have ever seen.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Merganser and snowy reflections, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-breasted-merganser-utah-mia-mcpherson-6498.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-breasted-merganser-utah-mia-mcpherson-6498.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-breasted-merganser-utah-mia-mcpherson-6498.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/red-breasted-merganser-utah-mia-mcpherson-6498.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14033,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/30\/red-breasted-merganser-on-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":4906,"position":5},"title":"Red-breasted Merganser On The Gulf Of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Sometimes I find an image appealing because of the memories it wakes up and not so much from the technical or compositional aspects, this Red-breasted Merganser image is one that isn't perfect but it does awaken memories and stirs my senses.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-breasted Merganser drake in eclipse plumage on the Gulf of Mexico, 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-florida-mia-mcpherson-5952.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-florida-mia-mcpherson-5952.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-florida-mia-mcpherson-5952.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/red-breasted-merganser-florida-mia-mcpherson-5952.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/155451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}