Top Photo: A whir of wings and slap, slap, slap of webbed feet on the water as the birds take off.

If you’re the first person of the day to descend the boardwalk leading to Explore the Wild you may see the mergansers in close to or under the boardwalk rousting out any mosquitofish, aquatic insects or crayfish that may be hanging out in the shadows.

The birds are shy. If the birds see you coming they may simply swim away to the other side of the wetland. If you surprise them they may burst into flight and beeline it to the other side.

However you encounter a hooded merganser, consider yourself lucky to have seen such an elegant looking duck.

Lophodytes cucullatus