Went on a warm evening walk yesterday 14 June at Wenatchee Confluence State
Park.
In the wetland near the campground I watched a female Common Merganser and
her brood of 10 very small young. They were all feeding along the edges,
staying fairly close to dense vegetation and to each other. At one point the
female stopped and five of the young climbed onto her back and stayed there
as the female continued swimming. After about a minute these five young
jumped ship and contiued feeding with the other young. Seeing young
mergansers ride on the mothers back was a new one for me.

Dave Beaudette
Wenatchee,WA