Tracking down a Novelty

Early on the Fourth of July I was enjoying a quiet quarry-side morning at Halibut Point before the holiday crowds arrived. Across the pond what at first seemed an undistinguished group of Mallards paddled out of the overhanging shrubbery.

One of the ducks was noticeably smaller than the others and had a long thin beak. My facetious motto (to myself) is always, "Shoot first, ask questions later." I did. They were swimming clockwise along the rim. I took off counter-clockwise hoping to meet them at an open vantage point by the Cattail Corner.

The Bird of Interest looked like a miniature cormorant. What to think of that?  At first sight it had few distinguishing features. What would an orphan be doing up here, and how could it get here? It seemed to have attached itself to the resident Mallards, like other solitary juveniles have done. [See Mallard Chaperones from February 15 of this year.] That wouldn't be very cormorant-like.

Besides, there was a dash of white along the wing, the hint of a crest on the back of its head, and very large eyes. It seemed to be drawing characteristics from different species, with a lot of merganser in the mix.

Hooded Merganser pair on the quarry

February 24, 2017

It didn't look much like the only small ducks with a long thin bill that I'd once seen here early in the spring migration season as the ice was thawing. That boldly patterned pair of Hooded Mergansers was hustling north to traditional breeding grounds.

I sent pictures to a local expert who pronounced it precisely of that species, a juvenile Hooded Merganser "fresh from the nest, I'm guessing."

Female Hooded Merganser
December 20, 2020

Its dash of white along the wing was very much like that on a female that had passed through here on its migration south a few years ago. Whatever gender this youngster was, it left me wondering how it was able to reach Halibut Point at such a tender age. I asked my generous friend for more about its life history. He wrote, "Once an uncommon migrant and very local resident, Hooded Merganser has become increasingly common in recent years. It now nests in Essex County and probably on Cape Ann (as suggested by your juvenile bird)." Aha.

 An online source noted that breeding begins in late February, which matched the pass-through date of that pair I'd once seen here. Their preferred habitat is wooded lakes, ponds, rivers where they can nest in surrounding tree cavities. That rules out Halibut Point.

 Like most waterfowl, Hooded Merganser hatchlings are precocial. They leave the nest within 24 hours after hatching. Their mother calls to them from ground level. The newborns scramble up to the entrance hole and then flutter to the ground, which may be 50 feet or more below them. They walk with their mother to the nearest body of water. The young are immediately capable of diving and foraging but remain with the female for warmth and protection. They start flying at around 70 days of age.

Juvenile Hooded Merganser

Incubation time for the eggs is about 30 days. Added to the 70 days needed for maturing to flight it took at least 100 days since conception to reach Halibut Point. Assuming its conception began about March 1, this bird was 3-4 weeks old when it flew here on the Fourth of July.

Unlike its Mallard companions, the young bird snorkeled frequently in search of fish to chase underwater. Hooded Mergansers can actually change the refractive properties of their eyes to improve their underwater vision. They have a transparent extra eyelid called a nictitating membrane that helps protect the eye during swimming, like a pair of goggles.

I look forward to its return colorfully fledged  in breeding plumage, when the pond ice, believe it or not, melts from the quarry.