Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)

Male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) in Geneva, Switzerland. January 2015. Not baited. Not called in.

I did not expect at all to see this male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) going to the lake around Bains des Pâquis. What a fantastic surprise! This duck is stunning! It really gave me the best opportunity ever to see how beautiful it is as it was hanging out only a few meters from the shore. It was amongst many Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) and Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula). And it was actually quite interested in one female Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) :). I wonder why it was the only one of its species though. In any case I really really enjoyed this encounter and I hope to see it again next winter.

Jonathan