I told this story seven years ago but this time I’m including more details and using mostly different photos. Five of the eight photos below are new to my blog.
Gulls are unapologetic thieves so when this one thought the juvenile Common Merganser on the partially ice-covered pond had come up with a fish it descended on the merganser in an attempt to snatch it away. But the gull soon realized that it wouldn’t be getting whatever is in the mergansers mouth so it looked for leftovers in the water behind the merganser.
That isn’t a fish in the merganser’s mouth. I believe it was a fishing lure of some kind.
Whatever it was the merganser couldn’t get rid of it, though it tried desperately to do so for quite a while.
I believe the wing flap that followed was done out of frustration.
All the commotion between the merganser and the gull caught the attention of another merganser some distance away. This bird also had thievery on its mind so it began to rush over to see what it could abscond with.
But this bird was also at a significant disadvantage.
Its left foot was missing.
A closeup of another photo gives us a better look at the stump.
This second merganser had quite a distance to cover before it got to the other birds so I managed to get quite a few shots of it running on water with one foot with only the assistance of its wings.
I was amazed at how well this bird had adapted to its handicap. Mergansers are primarily fish eaters which they have to catch underwater and this one-footed bird was in good condition and thriving so it was obviously catching fish and eating well. But it’s odds for the future weren’t good. It would soon have to migrate to its northern breeding range and with a missing foot my assumption was that it wouldn’t survive up there for long, if it made it at all.
So my amazement was compounded when I found the same bird, now an adult in breeding plumage (a male) but still missing the same foot, on the edge of the same pond the following winter.
This bird was a survivor!
Ron
Notes and miscellanea:
- Apologies but once again I ran out of time to include full image techs. Many of these shots were taken at or about: 1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D, Canon 500 f/4 + 1.4 tc.
- The merganser with the missing foot most likely lost it to fishing line.
- Yesterday I made cheese manicotti for dinner again. Damn it was good. I have 3 pans of it left, it freezes pretty well.
Oh, I would have wanted to help that Merganser with the lure. It is a joy to see birds animals and people move on despite their physical handicaps.
Anger, sadness, and despair evoked by today’s post and photos, but damn, the Merganser in the last photo shows more dignity and inspiration than I perceive in most people. “Hope”, indeed.
Hope the Merganser was able to get that lure out of its mouth. How horrible. Glad the other one seems to be doing well. The resiliency of certain individuals never ceases to amaze.
I don’t know if it did, Marty but I never saw a merganser with a lure in its mouth on the pond again.
Does that poor bird have a fishing lure in its bill? Hope not!!!
I believe it does, Patty. I mentioned that in my blog text.
In addition to great photographs, you’ve provided some profound lessons from Nature. Survival ain’t easy! We marvel time and again at how resilient creatures can be. And it makes me feel guilty about complaining for having a sore toe I stubbed on a root yesterday.
Thank you, Ron!
Thanks, Wally. Stubbed toes can be a big deal!
I am so often awed by survivors – whatever their species. And blown away by birds and animals who, as Everett says, do so on their own. Thanks for this encouraging post.
Cheese manicotti and light? You are on a roll.
Conditions here are much the same. The fire closest to us continues to burn out of control. We not expected to get as hot today. Our mingy forecast of pigeon sprinkle rain has been downgraded to a 50 per cent chance of a thunderstorm (with less than 1mm/0.03 inches) of rain. I hope that the thunderstorm doesn’t eventuate. The next state over was hit with dry lightening last night and yet more fires were triggered.
EC, it’s the same thing around here in summer when we have thunderstorms. They typically start far more fires then they put out or even dampen. I continue to wish you luck!
Reminds me of My Left Foot. I’ve seen various birds (Sandhill crane, Whit Ibis, etc) here in FL with one foot missing, and i always assumed it was due to the gators. Thanks for sharing.
Elmer, wouldn’t gators usually get the bird if they got the foot?
Good question. I thought if the bird was lucky the gator would bite off just their foot, i honestly don’t know the mystery of the missing foot ;-o
You could be right. I was just curious since I have no real experience with wild gators.
Hope the merganser with the lure fared as well tho, unless it could rid itself of whatever, it’s odds probably weren’t very good……. 🙁 Animals often adapt to a handicap MUCH better than we ever do/would – glad that one survived and thrived! In the 2nd photo is that it’s tongue in the center or something else? Wonderful series, Ron. 56 and “whooping it up” this morning……. 🙁 Hope EC’s situation has improved.
Thank you, Judy. Yes, that’s the merganser’s tongue. Looks like he’s gagging…
What a great series Ron. We humans are often survivors, but in doing so we almost always have considerable help. Our birds and animals out there in the natural world have to survive on their own when handicapped or injured. Your Merganser is really a handsome guy who probably had no trouble finding a breeding partner in spite of his missing foot. Thanks for sharing this.
You make some valid points, Everett. I sure HOPE he was able to reproduce. Good thing that science proved early on that acquired traits aren’t inherited or his progeny would have only one foot… 🙂
Great story with a happy ending. Nice to see an extended survival time with a handicap like this is very possible for these birds. Thanks for the great start to my day! On another note…today is the start of 12 days with no sunshine! Only a slight lightening of clouds yesterday to just barely make out the outline of a lighter orb in the sky for about five minutes. Sign me anxiously waiting blue skies and sunshine in NE WI. 🙂
Thank you, Kathy. I think we’re actually going to have some light today, at least for a while. It’s been a long time coming.