Herding Fish

Common Merganser, Mergus merganser, Mission River. There was a group of three Common Mergansers herding small schools of fish through the shallows. From a distance, it looked like three huge fish chasing a school of smaller fish until, at some point, they popped up their heads and it became clear that there were birds underneath those wakes in the water. There was also a small egret flying up in front of the Mergansers, trying to snag a free meal, complements of the merganser's herding efforts. Fascinating.