[Tweeters] Hooded Merganser/Rough-skinned Newt update

[Sego Jackson]

This morning, I (again) happened to see from our bedroom window that the Hooded Merganser was thrashing away at a Rough-skinned Newt. This time I was determined to see if it swallowed it or not. After watching for 10 minutes, it drifted behind some vegetation on the near edge of the pond, and out of sight. So I ran outside and positioned myself where I could watch it and within 5 minutes it swallowed the newt.  So it is consuming them and not just playing around.

And assuming it swallowed the first two times too, what I note is that from first noticing the merganser has a newt to it having “finished the job” has been about 15 minutes each time. I have no idea how long the merganser had hold of the newt before I noticed in each case.

Anyone know what a merganser typically does with prey? Is the thrashing the prey about and time to get it down typical for other merganser prey?

Sego Jackson
Whidbey Island

Sent from Mail for Windows

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