This Common merganser is a regular visitor on the Merrimack river in Lawrence during the winter months.  This male diving duck is very distinctive in its plumage with white sides, black back, greenish head and red bill.  The female is more brownish overall and easy to tell apart from the male.  They tend to swim in small flocks and frequently gather near the area where the spicket river flows into the Merrimack across from Salvatore’s Restaurant.

This is the female Common Merganser.  They sit in the water just the same but again the plumage colors are quite different except for the long red bill.  These Mergansers are typically found together in floating groups.

Most unexpected on this early sunday morning was a visit from a Belted Kingfisher.  the Kingfisher tends to hang out near the edge of waterways always in the search of fresh food.  At first, the Kingfisher made a lot of its typical rattling type calls but from an unknown location.  Then it landed and perched on a nearby branch allowing for some beautiful views and photos!