It was wonderful early this morning to catch a glimpse of one of the Hooded Merganser families (Lophodytes cucullatus) at Huntley Meadows Park. The ducklings appear to be almost grown up now and the survival rate seems to be higher than normal. In the past I have often seen the size of similar families dwindle down to just a couple of ducklings because of the large number of potential predators, most notably snapping turtles. I am amazed that the mother is able to watch over so many babies—the father doesn’t stick around to help raise the offspring.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Beautiful
Ducklings are so sweet. I agree with you about their vulnerability though. As a child, I once saw a pike snatch a fluffy yellow duckling from the surface of a pond.
It’s easy to get emotional about cute little creatures like these and others like deer fawns, but the reality is that the environment can sustain only a certain number of them. One way or another, nature has its own ways of controlling the population.
That’s very true, of course.