On Friday evening, I watched the waterfowl roosting congregation assemble below Wilder Dam. When I arrived at 5:10 pm, there were already 30 Common Mergansers present in a tight flock, which gradually gained about 20 birds over the next 10 minutes. The first Hoodeds (a pair) arrived at 5:20, after which the pace of new arrivals picked up. By the time I left at 5:35, at which point it was too dark to count accurately or identify new birds, there were at least 80 Commons and 50 Hoodeds, with a few still piling in. I didn't detect any other species. This is a great spectacle to witness, and I'll be glad to organize an evening watch or two later this month. Chris -- Chris Rimmer Vermont Center for Ecostudies P.O. Box 420 Norwich, VT 05055 802-649-1431 ext. 1 www.vtecostudies.org **************************************************************** To post messages, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] Set your e-mail application to PLAIN TEXT ONLY to post messages. To contact the list owner: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------- Web based archives and subscription management are available at: http://listserv.dartmouth.edu/Archives/uv-birders.html ****************************************************************