Mergansers show off fishing skills Wonderful, close-up views provided at Baxter’s Kidney Pond

It was the end of a beautiful day at Kidney Pond campground in Baxter State Park, and we were preparing to enjoy a delicious supper. The sun was setting, turning fluffy cumulous clouds pink and orange, and a light breeze ruffled the surface of the pond.

Suddenly a fellow camper called my attention to the water. I looked and was surprised to see three male common mergansers in winter plumage swimming parallel to the shoreline, about five feet out. They swam with a singleness of purpose and in near synchrony with each other. Every couple of feet they dove as one, reappearing further along, sometimes with wriggling fish in their beaks. In between dives, one or more of the birds would stick their heads under the water, presumably to seek out their prey. They didn’t swerve as they neared our cabin; in fact they completely ignored our presence even though we were near.

When they were directly opposite us, they dove again. Because we were on the porch, which was a few feet above the ground, and the cabin itself was located on a slight rise, we had a unique perspective of their streamlined forms as they propelled themselves through the water several inches below the surface. It was as if we were getting a glimpse into a secret world.

Once again the birds popped to the surface, further away this time. They continued to work their way along the shoreline until they disappeared from sight. We thought we had seen the last of them until they reappeared, this time traveling in the opposite direction. They repeated the same maneuvers and we were treated to another show. It seemed for the most part they were successful in their hunting; we weren’t the only ones enjoying a good meal.

The mergansers’ hunting success was helped by a number of factors. A number of birds swimming in formation, as these were doing, drive fish together and closer to shore, enabling easy capture. Cooperation and coordination are critical. Their excellent underwater eyesight then helps individual birds spot prey quickly; and their long, slender beaks, which have short, pointy serrations, enable them to grasp wriggling fish firmly. This feature has earned them the nickname “sawbill.”

Common mergansers nest near freshwater in boreal forests throughout the world. Yes, near the water, not on the water, as you would normally expect. Although the wood duck has traditionally been known as a cavity nester, mergansers are as well.

They will nest in tree cavities and nest boxes, even holes or burrows in the ground, and will not disdain a hollow log.

Unlike their relative, the red-breasted merganser, common mergansers winter on freshwater. In fact they will remain far inland as long as the water remains ice-free, and are often found on Christmas Bird Counts. Red-breasted mergansers prefer salt water, retreating to the coast come winter.

We enjoyed the wonderful close-up views – so rare in nature – of the fishing mergansers. Somewhat later, as dusk began to fall, they headed out toward the middle of the pond, creating lovely silhouettes on the water. It was a perfect Baxter moment.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net