We have had a duck house on Goose Pond in Canaan within sight of our kitchen window for at least 10 years, almost always wood ducks nesting each spring.  This year, as soon as enough ice melted first wk of April, we had FIVE woodies and EIGHT hooded mergansers, all milling around the duck house splashing and chasing.  Finally, it narrowed down to one male hoodie floating below, rarely a male woodie, but both the female woodie and the female hoodie observed going in and out.  The woodies then seemed to give up on the house.  Now we would see them both marching into the woods and occasionally back out.  House check on 5/18/2018 (finger count): 8+ eggs.  Often saw the female hoodie going in and out.

So, woodies, hoodies, and then…June 12 house check showed 2 eggs and a few fragments of shell, no sign of adults.  Debated cleaning it out, but left it.  We have never seen the one moment when ducklings hop into the water.

One week ago, there was the female merganser again! Often sitting on the roof!  Sometimes sleeping!  House check today 6/27 (camera only): 3 eggs at least, maybe more hidden in sawdust, no shells.  And a glimpse of what surely looked like a male common merganser skulking away.   The last we saw of common mergansers was in early April.  Would common mergansers be nesting now so late?  Was the female “hoodie” I saw a female common merganser all along? 

PS there are reported to be 2 loon chicks hatched a couple days ago on Goose Pond, but not from the known and faithfully observed (but not by me) loon nest.  Mysteries and mysteries.  Happy birding.  Norma


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