SEA DUCKS 113 



written by Captain H. L. Spinney and published in the Maine 

 Sportsman for May, 1897, from which it has been widely copied. 

 Capt. Spinney says: "There are no sea birds more intently 

 watched during the migration period than the White-winged 

 Scoter, American Scoter and Surf Scoter. Twenty years ago, 

 during the spring flight which usually lasted from April first 

 to the last of May, and again during the fall migration lasting 

 from September first to the end of October, these Ducks could 

 be found all along the coast of Maine in large flocks called 

 "beds" from their habit of congregating in vast numbers on 

 their feeding ground. 



All along our coast are sunken rocks, some of which appear 

 at low tide while others are covered with water from ten to 

 fifty feet deep. On these submerged rocks grows a bivalve 

 known as mussels. These occur in vast numbers and form the 

 principal article of food of the Scoter Ducks. To obtain these 

 the Ducks dive and tear them from the rocks. 



The observations of which I shall speak have been made 

 between the east boundary of Sheepscot Bay and the west of 

 Casco Bay, but I think they will apply to all the Maine coast 

 at the present time. If we would observe the habits of these 

 birds we must make our preparations the night before, which 

 will consist of a good row-boat and a dozen decoys made of 

 wood and painted black, or small buoys painted black will do 

 very well, especially if it be in the fall, and an anchor and 

 line to hold the boat in position. Having made these prepar- 

 ations, and having located the bedding ground which we wish 

 to visit, we will wait for morning. 



My experience has been that these nights are at least forty- 

 eight hours long, but, like everything else, they come to an 

 end. As it is three A. M. and we have some three or five 

 miles to row if we want to be on the shoal by daylight we must 

 start. It is a quiet morning in May. Not a ripple disturbs 

 the surface of the water. All nature seems quiet, unless the 

 frogs from some small ponds may be heard singing their 



