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CANVASBACK DUCKS BRANCHPORT, MARCH 3, 1914 



A Wild Duck Trap 



By VERDI BURTCH, Branchport, N. Y. 



With Photographs by the Author 



THI*^ harbor at Branchport, N. Y., on Lake Keuka, is cut off from the lake 

 itself by a long sand-bar through which a channel has been dredged to 

 enable the boats to enter. This channel does not freeze entirely over, 

 even in the coldest winter, as there is a strong current continually flowing in 

 and out, keeping a small area free from ice all through the winter. This open 

 area is a veritable trap for the wild Ducks, as in nearly every winter, after the 

 lake is frozen over, a few Ducks stay on here and starve to death. 



The winter of 191 1-12 was particularly disastrous. January was very cold, 

 and the lake froze over early in the month, zero weather marking early Feb- 

 ruary, when I heard from the fishermen that there was a large flock of Ducks 

 in the channel. On the 12th I went down and found that there were about 

 fifty Ducks, mostly Canvasbacks, with many American Scaups and American 

 Golden-eyes and a single Bufflehead, in the channel. As we neared them, the 

 Canvasbacks took to wdng, the Scaups and Golden-eyes crowding to the 

 opposite side of the channel. The Canvasbacks soon came back, circled around 

 a few times, and dropped in with the others. One female, however, was weak 

 and could not sustain her flight long enough to reach the water, but dropped 

 on the ice and flopped along until she was again in the water. 



February 13, there were about 150 Ducks in the channel, including one 



(410) 



