On 24 July 2018, Erika and I encountered three young Hooded Mergansers at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. The pond was laden with duckweed, a common, small, aquatic flowering plant. I am not sure how the mergansers could see their prey below the duckweed mat. The mergansers, nevertheless, made repeated underwater dives.
Cute! Reminds me of working on the Oregon Breeding Bird Atlas 20 years ago. That's the last time I remember seeing juvenile Hooded Mergansers for sure.
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