The merganser’s warning: don’t accept a ride from a stranger.
This posting reads a bit like an animal story written for children: heavy on lessons of human behaviour; skimpy on knowledge of animal behaviour. Certainly, the captions represent my interpretation, but the event was witnessed by three people and two cameras. Further, the pictures are presented in the order they were taken.
Mommy merganser has taken her eight chicks out to expose them to the delights and dangers of the pond.
As is often the case, some chicks hitch a ride on mommy’s back.
Danger approaches from out on the pond: another female merganser. It is unclear why mommy should see this as a threat, but the approaching female has no chicks of her own and may well want to adopt some of mommy’s.
Certainly, mommy merganser is not going to even allow the possibility. She attacks with great vigour. She drives off the other female, and has to do so twice.
Returning to her own brood, one can almost hear her say: “I have just protected you from being kidnapped.
The family retires to a safe place: “Remember, you can accept a ride from me, but never from a stranger.”
Wonderful. A Canadian Wilderness moment. Cue in the loon call and flute music. You would have to have a hard heart not to be totally enamoured by these birds.
Brian, a flute? I was thinking of the bagpipes. Wouldn’t they do?
The saddest part is watching mommy m. take 8 chicks & then 7 & then 6 for a ride as they are picked off by the real predators. Such is nature.
Bob, nice point. However, it doesn’t happen to apply on this occasion. There were eight chicks from beginning to end, although all the chicks did not necessarily appear within the framing of the pictures I chose to use.
Alistair,
Seeing your blog is better than watching the events live
Marvellous
Peter