Date: 5/20/26 6:46 pm From: Johnson, Michael Paul <mpj...> Subject: Re: Hoodie fledging
Spectacular! Thank you.
Michael P. Johnson, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Women’s Studies, and African and African American Studies, Penn State
1155 Oneida St.
State College, PA 16801
814-404-6975
My website<https://sites.psu.edu/feministmpj/welcome> ________________________________
From: State College (PA) Bird Club <SCBIRDCL...> on behalf of Ramsey, Lawrence William <lwr...>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 9:28:24 PM
To: <SCBIRDCL...> <SCBIRDCL...>
Subject: Hoodie fledging
In the last 8 years we have had half a dozen nesting attempts by Hooded Mergansers (HOME) in one of our “Wood Duck” houses on Sinking Creek and no Wood Duck attempts. The houses are on our property and visible from our house, and the wood ducks are much less tolerant of any sight or us. This year’s HOME attempt was the latest brooding start date estimated from when the male was last seen, or the last egg laid based on periodic nest box monitoring. The male was last seen on April 16 . According to Birds of the World on the Cornell site, the average incubation time is 32 days which means hatching should be May18 +/- a couple of days. I began intense remote photographic monitoring on the monitoring of the adult female coming and going on the May15 and noticed a change in behavior in the morning of the 18th and did a very quick check inside the nest box at 12:30 PM that day and say most the nest covered with hatchling and one chick was still sitting on a half of egg shell. The birds of the World ref note the hatchlings left the nest within 24 hours of hatching, so I spent the evening of the 18th until the end of civil twilight in a blind about 30 meters from the nest box to attempt to capture and young leaving; nothing. I was in the blind again at nautical twilight the morning of May 19 watching. About 6:30 AM mom stuck her head out and looked around then flew down and swam around a bit with another female, whom we called a “sister” and they explore un and down. We have seen up to three so-called “sisters” together in the last few weeks. About 7:10 the mother flew back into the house. In hindsight looks like she was telling the kids to pack. She came out at 7:26 (first picture) and into the creek below the house, and I could hear faint calling and exit shortly began at 7:28:25 (second picture) and it was all over by 7:39:40 (remaining pics). The photos were not great as at 1/2000 sec the ISO was 25000 so there was a lot of noise reduction etc. was required. That said it was fun and will try again if they are back next year.
