This afternoon we have had all kind of activity at our wood duck houses. I have seen Wood Ducks in three of the four houses, but this afternoon three or four Hooded Mergansers were flying to the different houses. One of the houses, which had a Wood Duck nesting with at least 15 eggs, had a Hooded Merganser looking out and a couple more trying to get in. The hoodies were rebuffed at a second house where a Wood Duck was sitting with her head out the hole. They appeared to be successfully entering the third house, which has a pole that is not very steady, and has not had Wood Ducks observed flying out. The fourth house was not visible from the window.
Just a few minutes ago we had a Wood Duck hen leading 14 young. It appeared that most were Hooded Merganser young. These appeared to be one day old. In a day or two the hoodies will leave the brood and strike out on their own. Hooded Merganser are not strongly maternal. The young will do well on their own. Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN [email protected] ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
