What Exactly Is A Hooded Merganser?
These eye-catching ducks, decked out with bold stripes and flamboyant head gear, were back on the pond today. They seemed to enjoy swimming beside the just-arrived Canada geese.
The Audubon says:
“Mergansers are our only ducks that specialize in eating fish. The Hooded is the smallest of our three native merganser species, and often seems to be the least numerous, as it tends to live around swamps and wooded ponds where it may be overlooked. A cavity nester along wooded waterways in the temperate parts of North America, it has probably benefitted by taking advantage of nest boxes put out for Wood Ducks.”
About the author jmankowsky
I live in Central Massachusetts in the United States--a wonderful area for nature, art and culture. Using a compact camera, I celebrate daily life found here in a variety of local landscapes throughout the changing seasons.
Meadow Lands
Garden Exercise Routine
Here’s Looking at You