This morning I was delighted to find a hen Hooded Merganser assembling her brood of about 14 brand new hatchlings in the water by one of our houses. They were a mass of energy all closely clumped by her. Even with a photo, it was impossible to get an accurate count. Hopefully she will bring them back later so we can get a second chance on the count. Nearby four more females swam. At least two have been hanging around here. No doubt the house was the depository for more than one hen's eggs. This is the largest Hoody brood that I have seen here, although I have seen much larger elsewhere. It is also the first brood that I have seen of any size. This has been a poor reproductive year so far for most ducks in this area.
On Wednesday a boy scout leader that I had trained for the bird studies merit badge stopped by and reported that he had had trouble finding the 20 species for the requirement down at the scout reservation by Cannon Falls. I asked him if he had heard the Red-eyed Vireo and opened my Sibley Ap on my phone and played its song. I immediately had an answer from the tree tops. I then also recommended he also learn the Pewee song, but before I played it, it started singing. Yesterday in the yard we had a Broad-winged Hawk whistling and could hear a Warbling Vireo. This is the first year that I can remember a Warbling Vireo staying for the breeding. We also had crows mobbing something in the forest nearby, but I did not climb the fence to chase it. Also, in lake I saw a couple of hatchling painted turtles. Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
