Hooded Merganser

We now have six pair of Wood Ducks investigating our duck houses and today,
in the clear sunshine, two pair of Hooded Mergansers joined the Wood Ducks in
looking at our nesting sites. The bay is still frozen over, but the wetlands
have thawed so the birds spend all day in our back yard (wetlands of Richmond
Bay). I will open two of the houses so the birds are not too fruatrated, but
will not open the final eight until next week. Good luck with your nesting
projects.

Mike Houle,      LaCrosse WI USA
Thawing on an island in the Black River