A pair of Hooded Mergansers visited my pond yesterday, and the female checked out a couple of the duck houses. But she didn’t stay too long, probably since there were snowflakes coming into the opening.

Female Hooded Mergansers

I had a pair of geese standing on my snow pile today and not sure why they didn’t like the bare ground instead, but eventually they made their way down to my pond. The pond is still mostly covered by ice although the big patch drifted to one end so there was an open spot. And in that open slice of water, I spotted the first returning duck of the season. The male Hooded Merganser has black head with a large white patch that varies in size when his crest is raised or lowered,

First Duck of Spring