A Red-Breasted Merganser

Although the climax of my recent trip to Port Townsend was photographing the Harlequin Ducks, getting a good shot of this male Red-Breasted Merganser was a close, and unexpected, second. When I spotted this guy, I quit taking shots of the Horned Grebes and the River Otter and worked my way down the beach to see if I could get close enough to get a good shot.

I did.

I must have spent nearly a half hour photographing this bird, but much of that time was spent waiting for it to resurface after it dove.

Patience definitely pays off when trying to photograph wildlife.