Common Mergansers

This morning I saw both Common and Hooded Mergansers at the smaller beaver pond down Leavitt Road. Last year was the first time I saw the Common Mergansers, they are really a beautiful bird. They are also the most shy of the ducks I've seen around here-if they aren't swimming at the farthest side of the lake or pond, then they quickly swim there as soon as you approach. Here are some pics taken by John Schwarz of birdspix.com.

Besides the mergansers there was also a pair of Wood Ducks. Did you know this species was nearly hunted to extinction 100 years age? They are a conservation success story as we now have over a million of them today. They are quite common in my neck of the woods, and I think the male is one of the most beautiful birds around.

Off topic, but I actually had a baby Wood Duck as a pet for a time in college. Ms. Lampe, the Saddleseat instructor at William Woods University has quite a collection of ducks at Senior Lake in the middle of campus. One summer I worked at the campus barn, taking care of and riding some of our Hunter/Jumper string. Anyways the Wood Ducks had cute fuzzy ducklings that were being eaten by a turtle one by one as they swam in the pond. We decided to intervene when there were only 3 left. Using a lungeline thrown in the water to rein them in, my 2 friends who were working with me and at least 2 of the instructors began operation Baby Wood Duck. Unfortunately the turtle was hungry and snatched 2 ducklings during the rescue, but we saved one duckling and named him-what else?-Woody. He lived in a spacious box in our room for several weeks until he was big enough to release back onto the pond, where he continued to thrive and do well.