Lucky Duck - Merganser Rescued and Released in Durham Region

On a bitterly cold winter evening I caught glimpse of something lying on the ice in a construction lot in South Whitby. I soon realized it was a male Red-Breasted Merganser.  He was one of countless waterfowl along the Great Lakes this winter who struggled to survive, no doubt crash landing in this desolate area.  These birds need open water to fish and swim, which is scarce this winter with the lakes freezing at a much higher rate than usual.

There was no telling how long he had been there.

After a battle walking through huge snow drifts, I was able to access and contain the bird.  I got him warm and comfortable for the night.  The next day he was transported to Toronto Wildlife Centre, where he was found to be emaciated, like many of the waterfowl in Durham who were in trouble. But fortunately, no injuries.

"My" Merganser can be seen in this video clip, as he enjoyed his 15 seconds of fame the day he was admitted, in this CBC News Video Clip.  He is the first bird shown, eating fish in the clinic.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Toronto/ID/2655684378/

Several days later he was released with a new friend he made at TWC while in care.  These birds were very lucky because they were rescued in time and made full recoveries.  It is hard to walk along the shores of Lake Ontario now and see all those that didn't survive this harsh winter.

Thanks as always to Toronto Wildlife Centre for the huge difference they make to wildlife in the GTA (and in my life too!).