I love photographing birds in flight. However, it isn’t very often I am able to capture beautiful scenery in the background as well. Often it is a bird against a blue sky.

Common Mergansers do spend some time at one of our local parks.

While the Common Mergansers often spend most of their time swimming and diving in the lake there occasionally they do take flight.

Luckily the way it usually works with the Common Mergansers taking flight off this small lake they typically make several loops around the perimeter gradually increasing their height.

The Common Mergansers seems to need to increase their height and speed as they circle. Perhaps this allows the Common Merganser to achieve escape velocity and fly off to a new destination.

The circling of the Common Merganser allows me opportunities to capture the bird against some more scenic backgrounds.

It worked out just perfect with this photo. The Common Merganser passes right in front of this weeping willow that has leaves just starting to produce bright green buds in early spring.

I love the layers of contrast. Dark around the edges of the phots. Then the bright green. Then the black and white of the Common Merganser in the center.