MIGRATIONS OF WATERFOWL 



about 9:00 a.m. on October 22, when the fog disappeared, and they left. 

 While in the area at least thirty, all Canada Geese, were shot by sportsmen. 

 The flight consisted primarily of Canada Geese with some Blue Geese and 

 a few Snow Geese." 



Audubon (1840) said that when Canada Geese "are slowly advancing 

 from south to north at an early period of the season, they fly much lower, 

 alight more frequently, and are more likely to be bewildered by suddenly 

 formed banks of fog, or by passing over cities or arms of the sea, where 

 much shipping may be in sight. On such occasions great consternation pre- 

 vails among them, they crowd together in a confused manner, wheel irregu- 

 larly, and utter a constant cackling resembling the sounds from a discon- 

 certed mob. Sometimes the flock separates, some individuals leave the rest, 

 proceed in a direction contrary to that in which they came, and after awhile, 

 as if confused, sail toward the ground, once alighted on which they appear 

 to become almost stupefied, so as to suffer themselves to be shot with ease, 

 or even knocked down with sticks. Heavy snowstorms also cause them great 

 distress, and in the midst of them some have been known to fly against 

 beacons and lighthouses, dashing their heads against the walls in the middle 

 of the day. In the night they are attracted by the lights of these buildings, 

 and now and then a whole flock is caught on such occasions." 



Mr. J. H. Yerex, of Clair, Saskatchewan, reports * a weather accident 

 described to him by a farmer friend, Don Knox. "We had a week of very 

 foggy weather Nov. 12 to 18 and the trees and fields of stubble were coated 

 with hoar-frost. The sun was hidden for days and at times it was difficult 

 to see more than ten feet ahead in daytime. On the evening of the 15th 

 Mr. Knox decided it would be a good time to burn an old straw stack, so 

 set it afire about 7:30 p.m. Next morning as he was driving along the road, 

 he noticed a few dead ducks scattered here and there but thought little 

 about them as ducks often strike the telephone lines and kill themselves, 

 but a little later he noticed something unusual going on in his stubble 

 field and went over to investigate. Mr. Knox was amazed to find hundreds 

 of dead and dying ducks, some with smashed bodies, some with broken legs 

 and wings, and others less seriously injured but apparently dazed and un- 

 able to navigate properly. The stubble was so tall and heavily frosted that 

 unharmed birds could not take off, but when they were lifted out of the 

 stubble and thrown into the air, they were able to continue their flight 

 southward. . . . The ducks were identified as Lesser Scaups, the bluebill 



In "Chickadee Notes," by A. G. Lawrence, Winnipeg Free Press, December 15, 1944. 

 166 



