( Log Out / We have two baby Hooded Mergansers that arrived this week at our San Francisco Bay center. They are cavity nesters, like Wood Ducks, and will use provided boxes if suitable natural cavities are unavailable. Hooded Merganser Babies. See more ideas about Waterfowl, Birds, Duck. We have two baby Hooded Mergansers that arrived this week at our San Francisco Bay center. Eggs rescued from duck house after hen was attacked and killed by a raccoon. After that, the male leaves the female to incubate and care for the brood. Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr) of the Hooded Merganser. Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. Change ). Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. This second shot is my favorite one from an artistic perspective. . Thank you! Everything happens earlier down your way. Thanks! All of our patients this week are deserving of the patient of the week honor, but we thought we would feature some of our youthful additions. While 50 is definitely on the high end, such big brood counts are actually pretty common, says Kenn Kaufman, field editor for Audubon. Great captures, and narrative too Mike! “Luckily enough, just one picture turned out.”. Mama is a common merganser, a duck found on freshwater lakes.Females can lay up to a dozen or so eggs, according to the National Audubon Society. By Jillian Mock . Hooded Mergansers breed in swamps or wooded ponds in the northern U.S. or southern Canada. These ducks are small as adults and seem tiny as babies. Download our Audubon bird guide app to start learning more than 800 species. We looked for the mama duck and any sign of other babies for quite a while but none to be found. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Learn how your comment data is processed. The ducklings are be full of energy, ready to wander in multiple directions, and the Mom seems to be more than fully occupied watching out for predators and keeping the group together. You’ve got to love spring and all the babies, Great shots, all I can seem to find are Geese and Goslings. Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser duck, Hooded Merganser ducklings, Huntley Meadows Park, Lophodytes cucullatus, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 9 Comments, Mike: A great way to start off morning, not only for the Merganser family, but you and I as privileged observers. The ducklings are be full of energy, ready to wander in multiple directions, and the Mom seems … Your photo series is so special and so touching…Love the images. Looking for some tips on how to feed baby wild mergansers. An amateur wildlife photographer, Cizek had decided to brave the late-afternoon winds to scope out the lakeshore for future shoots. Spread the word. Sooo cute. All help is appreciated! Scientists aren’t sure exactly why ducks do this, but it could effectively serve as a reproductive insurance policy. Photo: Brent Cizek. This mother duck will tend to her ducklings for a couple more weeks, until the little birds are big enough to defend themselves. I’m glad to see you like the last shot–I thought of not including it in the posting, because the heads of the babies are not visible, but I found the image to be irresistible. You may link to the site but written content and photographs may not be used without my written permission. Probably because I was a daydreamer too. bonne anniversaire.!!!!!!! Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. All rights reserved. Ducklings need little parental care—they can dive and collect their own food within hours of hatching. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. All of our patients this week are deserving of the patient of the week honor, but we thought we would feature some of our youthful additions. I don’t know if they were bathing or playing or if this was a lesson in fishing.