Field Mergansers?

[Traveling Circus]

The other day when driving along a Monroe county road close(1/2 mile) to lake Ontario, I spotted a merganser in the snow along the edge of a road. It appeared to be a cut corn field, but was covered in 2+ feet of snow. It flushed and flew off....??? Any ideas what it might have been doing there? I'd never seen that before.

[choked-up]

Maybe looking for a nesting location. Hooded mergansers nest in trees.

[TileMan Dan]

I would think that it's a bit early to look for nesting sites. Great horned owls are the only bird I know that nests this time of year.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[anytime]

What a surprise. I also saw a drake merganser sitting on the edge of Redman Rd. Monday. Didn't seem to have a care in the world as the snow and my truck wissed by.

[cooper2]

They are starving to death. The same thing happened last year, there were dead ones littered along the parkway.

Anytime- I probably saw the same one you saw off of Redman. I most likely didnt move because it didnt have the strength to.

[john1947]

I have a small pond and keep about a dozen tame malards.Its kept open with a bubbler and nothing much bothers them.But lately Ive got many wild udcks coming in so much that they empty my feeder about 4o lbs of corn a day now and the hole is only 15 ft wide due to the cold.

[Big Water]

Good to hear you're helping the wildlife John. I spend lots of $$$ helping mine get through the winter to the tune of 100 lbs of corn a day and more for the small critters and birds. Birds of a feather.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Big Water