Fishers and Bullies

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

I saw an amazing demonstration of the mergansers' ability to catch fish this afternoon.  I watched five Common and one Red-breasted Merganser, all females, catch 13 fish in less than 15 minutes.  It seemed like the mergansers brought up 4- to 5-inch fish practically every time they dove.  A Ring-billed Gull waited expectantly on the surface and half-heartedly pursued the successful fishers while each fisher maintained her grip on her flopping, silvery catch.  Kaufman's Lives of North American Birds described  mergansers with the nickname 'sawbill' due to the serrated edges of their beaks.  Never once did any merganser give up her fish to the gull, who took on a forlorn and bereft look.  The mergansers I saw today were on a stopover at a small pond that's part of the South Ogden municipal water supply east of and behind the South Ogden water towers off South Harrison Blvd (UT 203).  

At Kaysville Ponds, the American Wigeon were much more successful at bullying American Coots out of their meals than the Ring-billed Gulls were with the mergansers.  I watched a consummate opportunist male American Wigeon keep close company with a diving American Coot.  Every time the coot brought up a big beak full of green stringy stuff, the wigeon was ON IT, and took most of the green stringy stuff away.  Bad birdie!  I witnessed the repast rip-off five or six times.  The coot was working very hard to fill that wigeon.  I never saw the wigeon dabble for dinner once--he just waited for the coot to surface with it.  Various references tell me the wigeon preys upon diving ducks, too. 

The presence of a male Belted Kingfisher hover-hunting is one more sign that this habitat is improving.  I also saw Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaups, Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, domestic Mallards, Canada Geese, Pied-billed Grebes, Gadwall, Northern Shovelers, Killdeer, Ring-billed Gulls, White-crowned Sparrows, American Magpies, House Finches and Western Meadowlarks.

To reach the Kaysville Ponds at the Utah Botanical Center, exit I-15 at Exit 331 and turn east (UT 273).  After approximately a half mile turn right (south) on Main St.  Three blocks later turn right on 50 W. and drive another half mile south.  You'll see the ponds on your right.

Kris