<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">I usually have Wood ducks and Mallards nest in my little drainage pond. Mortality is pretty high. One year I observed that a Mallard seemed to have corralled a Wood duckling with her own ducklings while a distressed Wood duck hen stayed close by without any ducklings in tow. It appeared that she wanted her duckling back.<br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jun 11, 2016, at 11:04 PM, Steve Weston via Mnbird <<a href="mailto:mnbird@lists.mnbird.net" class="">mnbird@lists.mnbird.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">I've been seeing lots of flycatchers, or more properly, hearing lots of flycatchers, mostly Great Creasted Flycatchers, Wood Pewees, Willows, but also a few Alders and E. Phoebes. The best birds I have seen were have been several pairs of Sand Hill Cranes, including a pair without young just south of the Wyoming Hospital. <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Today I saw the first Hooded Mergansers on my lake. A hen Hooded Merganser being followed by six ducklings: four Mergansers and two Wood Ducks. This is the first time I have seen that kind of mixed flock. I have heard that Wood Ducklings will follow a hen Merganser, whereas Merganser ducklings will not follow a Wood Duck hen. In the past I have seen plenty of Wood Ducks with a brood and parent-less Merganser ducklings on our lake.</div><div class=""> <br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div class="">Steve Weston</div>
<div class="">On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN</div>
<div class=""><a href="mailto:sweston2@comcast.net" target="_blank" class="">sweston2@comcast.net</a></div></div></div>
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