A Merganser, a Goose and a sleepy Raccoon

After meeting Page and learning about meal worms I was told that there were a couple of merganser ducklings at Greenwood.  Adult mergansers are striking ducks with razor bills designed to catch slippery fish. They generally nest in trees (and sometimes in nesting boxes) and within a day or so of hatching, the mother encourages her ducklings to "leap" (fall) out of the tree to spend the rest of their childhood fending for themselves in lakes and rivers.    They are not common at Greenwood and the staff was excited to be able to raise them.  I took only a couple of pictures because I didn't want to bother (or imprint) them!

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I then watched a gosling at physical therapy.  This gosling had been brought in with a fish hook in its web.  As a response to the injury,  its foot had curled up and was not functional.  The staff at Greenwood attached a foam "cast" and a once a day the gosling would be let out of it's nesting box and allowed to experiment with it's newly functional foot.  It was a reluctant walker on the day I saw it but the previous day had done laps around the room discovering it's new found freedom. 

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Last but not least were the raccoons.  I was told there were 72 raccoons at Greenwood that day, but where were they?  A little investigating yielded the answer.  Napping!  Raccoons are nocturnal animals and on this afternoon these "teenage" raccoons were getting some much needed R and R.   Here is one that I spied on through the enclosure.

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That's all for today.  Thanks for reading and thanks for all of your support of Greenwood! 'Til next time!