Hooded Mergansers in the Pond

During breakfast this morning, we noticed some ducks in the pond.  At first we thought maybe it was the Wood duck back for another visit.

 

Back in January the children noticed a Wood duck on the edge of the pond.  It appeared to be a young male and they were convinced he was injured and would freeze to death in the cold weather.  They caught him and put him in in the barn with the chicks.  Only then did they come to tell me what they had done.  I was concerned he would go into shock or would give our chickens some sort of wild duck disease or something, but he seemed quite content to sit under the heat lamp and to share the chick's food and water.

 

 

Still, I insisted he go back outside so they carried him back to the pond.  When they put him down he fled into the underbrush and we didn't see him for a couple of days.  Now, ocassionally, he'll be back in the pond for a day or two and then will be gone again for a while.  Last time he visited he had a female Wood duck with him.

 

So we thought maybe the four ducks on the water this morning were Wood ducks until we looked at them through the binoculars. 

 

 

Three of them have distinct white heads.  It was tough to get a good photo since they were so far away and becuse they're so active, but when we looked through the binoculars we could see them better. 

 



 

It appaeared the three males were squabbling over the female.  They were chasing each other across the pond.

 

 

When we looked them up online we found their name, "Hooded Merganser," and a better photo of the male.  They really are stunning.

 

 



 It was fun to sit and watch them this morning.  Maybe we'll have a family of Hooded Mergansers soon!