The Mighty Duck!

Hooded Merganser

F/6.3, 1/200, ISO 1600.

Hooded Merganser

What did the duck carry his schoolbooks in?

His Quackpack!

Interesting Fact: Hooded Merganser ducklings leave their nest cavity within 24 hours of hatching. First, their mother checks the area around the nest and calls to the nestlings from ground level. From inside the nest, the little fluffballs scramble up to the entrance hole and then flutter to the ground, which may be 50 feet or more below them. In some cases they have to walk half a mile or more with their mother to the nearest body of water. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/lifehistory )

 

23 Comments

  1. starrywazzoh's avatar

    Interesting start to life: egg cracks, chick emerges, night’s sleep, 50 ft leap into the void, hike to water. Why did evolution decide this is best for Mergansers and some other ducks? Bizarre. Answers on a postcard…

    • throughopenlens's avatar

      That is a good question. Nature has a very strange ways for some species. Thank you very much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Happy Blogging. 🙂

    • throughopenlens's avatar

      Thank you very much. I am not even sure I know it’s definitely more then few thousand. I go out to shoot wildlife quite often. Happy Blogging. 🙂

Leave a reply to throughopenlens Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.