TRR photo by Scott Rando This female merganser, with her rust-brown head, swims with a flock on a Shohola lake. The small serrations on her bill help with capturing and swallowing prey, mostly fish, but sometimes amphibians, insects or even small mammals.

Diving for dinner: the common merganser

Kayaking on a nearby lake during the first week of November, I spotted an unusual shape floating on the water’s surface. It turned out to be a dead female merganser, floating dorsal side up. When I turned the bird over to check for any obvious cause for her demise, I found a four-inch fishing plug ensnared in her bill and one foot.

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PEEC maintains winter operating schedule

DINGMANS FERRY, PA—The Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Dingmans Ferry will be open to the public all winter. The winter operating schedule will begin in December.

From December 1, 2008 through January 30, 2009, PEEC’s main building will be open to the general public Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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More deer information available online

PENNSYLVANIA—The Pennsylvania Game Commission has expanded its website’s deer management section, created a new deer periodical and posted a deer management video on YouTube.

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Also in this issue:

• Assessing forest in the wake of storm damage