On this day, 57 diving ducks were spotted on the Merrimack River between the Aiken and Bridge Street bridges, including 54 Common Goldeneyes and three Bufflehead females.
The tightly packed group has grown since the arrival of the four male vanguards on November 18. They spend their days foraging, resting, socializing, and maneuvering in a relatively confined area of the river between River Place Towers and the old Lawrence Mills (circa 1828).
As an ensemble, the goldeneyes resemble a single organism. Sometimes they let the current take them downstream towards River Place. Then, they turn around and commence with feeding as they paddle against the current. This is becoming a daily ritual.
The divers are animated as they dive and feed. They work as a group. At times, most are underwater. Other times, they appear to undulate, with some diving, some coming up from a dive, and some paddling against the current while preparing for a dive.
The makeup of the group is predominantly female and proportionally similar to last January's observations. Today, there were 12 males, 42 females, and 3 Bufflehead females.
Little social groups seem to be forming within the pack. At some point, perhaps, the smaller clusters will form like last winter.