Very wierd experince this morning. NF

[misfish]

Like I do every morning, I go to the lake front have a coffee and walk abit before heading into work. This morning during my walk, I came accross what I thought was a dead water fowl, belly up on the bank. All I did was make a step towards it, and it began to start moving. Shaking about and what seemed to be, trying to up right side it,s self. It kept jabbing it,s beak into the sand trying to get it,s self over. It was a merganzzer. How he got to this state is beyound me. I gave it a helpping hand ,turning him over. He was a fat bugger. Seems thats is all it took for him to scoot off into the water and swim away. His hair doo was a bit messy, but seemed ok other then that. He didnt fly off, just paddle is way out into the lake. Looked normal.

 

I have seen loons fight. And the loser would be turned over. They would struggle to right them self.

 

Any one have an idea as to why this bird would be belly up? Same thing as the loon?

 

I had a good feeling in myself, after seeing this bird make his way.

 

Thought I would share and ask.

 

Thanks

[Old Ironmaker]

You a bird whisperer Brian? I saw an Eagle dive bomb a Merganzzer on the lake last month. Over and over again then fly away. The bird was definitely injured and the waves brought it to shore and it died. Why it did it was the question. There was another Eagle, maybe a juvenile, and it was giving it a lesson is all I can surmise.

[esoxansteel]

Tell us the truth Brian, you persuaded him with a meegs

[Rodbender]

Busted wing they cant just stand up like puddle ducks can their feet are too far back they use their wings to right them btw I never help a bird unless its man made injury that I witness prolonged death on anything I hate including people I went through that with my grandfather

Edited June 6, 2016 by Rodbender

[dave524]

yes , Mergansers, Loons and other diving duck can't walk on land, busted wing sounds logical , were there and power lines nearby that he could have flown into ? If a Loon or Merganser is grounded away from water it is pretty well a death sentence, getting it back into the water at least gives him a chance.

[misfish]

yes , Mergansers, Loons and other diving duck can't walk on land, busted wing sounds logical , were there and power lines nearby that he could have flown into ? If a Loon or Merganser is grounded away from water it is pretty well a death sentence, getting it back into the water at least gives him a chance.

 

No power lines. Just a wide open bay. Nothing here for a water fowl to fly into really. Could it of had a battle over a female? This is what I wittnessed with the loon. It was very extream. This was a male merganzzer.

 

Oh, I can take the funny guys. I just thought this was an interesting find.

[manitoubass2]

Wanna here a weird death of a bird? No, well Im tellin ya anyways?

 

2 years ago at the cedarvale solar project.

 

Show up early and there is a hawk sitting on the bench with its head tucked to the side. Weird.

 

Stayed in the same spot, same position for probably like 8 hours. Then just fell over dead???

[Beavertail]

My guess would be illness, maybe botulism which can be common in waterfowl. I've seen plenty of ducks at the waste water plant behaving strangely before expiring a day later (presumably after feeding in the process tanks)