Common Mergansers

... are common on the Wood River in the winter time. Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) are diving ducks with spikelike bills and saw-edged mandibles. They dive under water for extended periods of time, swiming after fish. I'll often watch them swimming serenly on the water's surface, then suddenly pop under, only to resurface at a distance from where I first saw them.

Today I spotted three of them swimming in front of my office window - a female and two males. It looked like the female was already paired with the male in front. The male in the back was probably being opportunistic, watching for a chance to steal the lady away.

Males are beautiful large sized ducks, with a kelly-green heads and white breasts and sides. The females are distinctively different, with red crested heads and grayish bodies. The pairs will be forming right about now, with breeding taking place in a month or two.

In this second photo they were starting to fly away. The water is so calm you can see their reflections as they lift off, making it look like double the number of birds.

Photos 3/17/09 by Denise Poyer