Two male Red-breasted Mergansers, first reported by Kyle Jones  
yesterday, were still present just below the Wilder Dam this morning  
between 6:45 and 6:55. They were diving and swimming on the surface,  
while two nearby male Common Mergansers provided a nice comparison of  
the two species. This morning the air temperature was about minus 5  
degrees Fahrenheit and therefore considerably cooler than that in the  
open water. Water was being released from the dam at a relatively low  
rate, and the amount of open water below the dam appeared to be rather  
limited in extent. The only other bird species detected during my  
brief visit were 11 Rock Pigeons and a vocalizing crow and chickadee.

Northward spring migration of Red-breasted Mergansers has been  
historically considered to begin along the New Hampshire coast in  
March. As compiled by Keith and Fox (2013, The Birds of New Hampshire,  
Memoirs Nuttall Ornith. Club. 19), inland winter records in NH have  
been few, and the only previous report from interior NH in February  
was of 2 at Concord on Feb. 22, 1958. Murin and Pfeiffer (2002,  
Birdwatching in Vermont) have written that "Tiny numbers winter on  
Lake Champlain."

A question could be whether these Rb Mergs at Wilder Dam are birds  
being forced out by expanding winter ice on waters elsewhere or,  
alternatively, in the vanguard of early spring migrants. In view of  
the winter weather in northeastern North America this year, the first  
of these alternatives is perhaps the more plausible.

George Clark
Norwich, VT 

****************************************************************
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
****************************************************************