chapter 311

Hooded Merganser

5/2/2013

Nat Geo in Vischer Ferry

  A funny thing happened on the way to my Pilated Woodpecker tree for updates. A female Hooded Merganser was circling and came in to roost.

 Caught the fly in by hapenstance.

 She was wary and checking me out (still with water drops) from the tree top for quite a spell until she took off pretending to go far away.

 After a while I was distracted watching a Geese nesting pair fly in next to me. Looks pretty in photo with early morning sun on the pink seed pods some call flowers but it's really a mucky swamp part of the old Erie Canal Tow Path.

 When I turned back to the tree I noticed what looked like a tree fungus until I focused in. She had sneaked back and into a hole half way up the same woodpecker tree and was sitting there quietly and motionless in her own nest. 

 The down plumage spilling from the hole indicates she has already prepared the nest. There's gonna be baby bird shots high and low I if happen to get there at the right time. The Merganser chicks plop out of the nest to the ground after ONE day old.

  Found these two young Female Hooded Mergansers (I believe) near by but certainly not chicks, maybe earlier family.

Reverse fast forward to last Spring when I happened upon a pair on the Stony Creek Reservoir. A male was taking off for the other side.

After he landed he was looking and calling for his mate.

He began squawking, puff up and display.

This worked as the female came in for a landing also.

He led her back across the Reservoir for some reason, maybe looking for fish better wind direction.

Then he decided it was time to go on takeoff pattern.

Until reaching liftoff.

Found this little Coon just past the bird tree last week. He wasn't feeling well and died the next day.

 Following day only trace of body was a scavenging bird feather and 2 snapping turtles at the site. Branches in foreground gnawed on by the beavers.

Had to go back later for beaver shot.

 My "Exibition of Photography" (along with the club) is at the Clifton Park Library all this month. There have been huge throngs of spectators there, mostly senior citizens, so get there early. Sure the grizzly is an easy winner, but I coulda got that if I had lived in Alaska too.

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