Ducklings

6/5/20 - Richard Rorick sent this week’s photo and writes, “These ducklings were seen running all over busy Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury. A group of good samaritans was able to stop traffic and round them up in boxes. They were then released down by the Farmington river to reunite with their Mom.” Jay Kaplan, director at Roaring Brook Nature Center, writes, “The Common Merganser is the larger and more prevalent of the two merganser species that nest along the Farmington River (the other is the Hooded Merganser). When they mature, the males can be identified by their dark green (may appear black depending upon the light) heads, while the females have a cinnamon brown head. Mergansers are “diving” ducks meaning they submerge to catch insects, small fish and other prey beneath the surface. Fifty years ago, mergansers did not nest in the lower Farmington as it was not yet clean enough. Their presence today is just one indication of cleaner water quality in the lower Farmington River.”