Hooded Merganser

I saw several hooded mergansers eight years ago in Florida and have wanted to see others since. The Florida birds were very distant, so I did not get a great view, but they were so odd and bizarre-looking that I've been intrigued with them since.  

I recently looked at both iNaturalist and eBird sightings nearby to find locations where hooded mergansers had been seen recently. It worked - I visited those locations and found them. 

This male hooded merganser was at the San Joaquin Marsh in Irvine. 

These hooded mergansers, both male and female, were at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. These were by far the best view I've had. 

A female eating a crayfish.

These hooded mergansers were at Lake Silverwood, near the Cajon Pass. They were my poorest view.