Yes, it’s that time of year again when the male mergansers that call our Wetlands their winter home, strut their stuff in an effort to win the hearts of the females. The males perform pair bond displays in the fall and winter, pumping out their chests, shaking their black and white crested heads, rearing back and emitting rolling, croaking sounds. It’s much more efficient for these ducks to form pairs during the winter. Time is critical during the breedingRead more
Posts tagged: #winter ducks
Who will you choose?
What are the three mergansers in the above photo up to, and why does the one on the right look as though he’s about to charge at the others? They’re engaged in a pair-bonding display, a competition of sorts. They’re trying to win the praise of a female merganser off to the side (just out of the picture). There’s a lot of head-shaking and strutting about during these pair-bond sessions. The birds shake their heads from side to side, rear backRead more
Who’s afraid of a little rain?
It began to rain towards the end of the day last Friday. It had been threatening to do so all day and finally did around 3 o’clock that afternoon. People tend to clear out of the area when the rain starts in earnest. However, the wildlife is still there to see. The Great Blue Heron, bullfrogs, and Hooded Mergansers are not bothered in the least by the rain. In fact, the birds seem more active when it does rain. The reasonRead more