Hooded Merganser, male

This picture was taken on 14th April, 2008 in our back yard. For me, it's kind of a sad picture. For the last three years we've had a pair of Hooded Mergansers nest at the edge of the pond in our back yard. This year there was no female and the male only came once, sat at the edge of the pond for an hour or so and then left. I'm assuming that something has happened to the female.