Hooded Mergansers Return to Temple Terrace

This is a big day for Temple Terrace birdwatchers.  The Hooded Mergansers are back in town!  Every year about this time these delightful diving ducks flee the northern climes to spend a milder winter in our local ponds.  They really enjoy the small pond on the south side of Bullard Parkway at Burlingame. Hooded Mergansers are very active diving ducks and spend lots of time swimming and diving for food at the bottom of the pond.  They also seem to enjoy chasing each other about. Males have the distinctive hooded crest while females have a rusty brown tuft.  Usually about twelve or so birds hang around together, typically with one or two more females than males.  By mid-March these ducks fly back home, so take some time to enjoy them while they're here.