[Tweeters] Hooded Merganser Super Powers?

[Sego Jackson]

We have a half-acre pond in front of our house and several weeks ago, I looked out and saw a male Hooded Merganser struggling to eat something of unusual shape and orangish color. I suspected it was a Rough-skinned Newt and getting my binocs, was concerned to find that it was. I love our newts and our merganser so my concern was for both. I watched for a good 10 minutes as it vigorously mouthed the newt.  I had to step away and came back a few minutes later and there was no sign of the merganser, so I didn’t get to see if it succeeded in swallowing. 

I suspected that would be the end of that bird, and for the next two days I didn’t see it on the pond. But on day three, back it was.  While we get multiple mergansers sometimes, currently I've been only seeing one, so thought it very probable that it was the same individual. 

Today, the merganser again had a Rough-skinned Newt that it struggled with for a good 15 minutes. Again, I needed to step away, and came back to see the merganser still on the pond, but newtless. I would assume it succeeded in swallowing the newt, but again, didn’t actually get to see it.

Planning to write Tweeters about this, I decided to google first. I found two references:

A 2015 article in Wildlife Afield titled “Annual Use of a Farm Pond by Hooded Mergansers on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia” by Robert Weeden noted he watch Hooded Mergansers “thrash” the mucus from Rough-skinned Newts before eating them. http://www.wildlifebc.org/pdfs/WA12_2HOMEWeb.pdf

A 2017 Flickr posting by Chantal Jacques clearly showing a merganser with a newt and some text related newt toxins. https://www.flickr.com/photos/chantaljacques2012/33618434010 

Has anyone else seen this, or know anything about toxin tolerance in mergansers or any other ducks? Is this a merganser super power?

Is another super power knowing when an observer needs to go to the bathroom, even from a distance? I can’t believe I missed the conclusion 2 times by taking a vey quick bathroom break. 

Thanks,

Sego Jackson
Whidbey Island

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