356



Mr. Herbert K. .Job,



Canvasback ancl others. Now and then a quaint little male ruddy

duck, with its amazing sky-blue bill and forehead and rich-hued

reddish hack, peculiarities of the breeding season, would suddenly

emerge near us from the depths and dive again on the instant. The

same “stunt” was frequently being performed by Grebes, of various

kinds—pied-billed, horned, Holboell’s, and Western.


Mud-hens or coots, Virginia rails, soras, yellow - headed

blackbirds, red wings, and long-hilled marsh wrens were also in

evidence with various sounds to contribute to the marsh chorus.

Black and Forster’s terns were yipping angrily and darting at our

heads as we paddled unwittingly near their nests. Very enlivening

it all was, especially when a female redhead swam out from the

rushes ahead of us, leaving her nest. Hasty search did not reveal it,

so we noted the spot for further and successful effort.


Presently we emerged upon a considerable sheet of water, a

couple of miles across. Grebes were there a-plenty, swimming

about. Here was a fish-net stretched between stakes. In it were

entangled numbers of fine big pickerel and pike, and also I am sorry

to note, various unfortunate grebes. Out on the open hay were

some lesser scaups or blue-hills, and also several pairs of the big

white-winged scoters, sometimes called sea-coots, and other ducks

as well.


I desired at the outset to find some dry areas in the marsh, or

islands where ducks are likely to breed in concentrated numbers,

which would save much time and labour. The guide told us there

were no islands, hut that there were a few ridges along the shores of

certain bays and channels where the land rose slightly above water

level. One was out ahead of us, across the hay, along a channel.


Paddling over to it, we found the shore moist, hut above

water overgrown with land vegetation, especially nettles, thistles,

vines and all sorts of weeds, truly delightful stuff to struggle

through !


The Assistant and I, however, started in with eager

expectancy. The upland strip was only a few rods wide, and we

undertook a systematic heat, for at any spot a duck might be con¬

cealed upon her nest. If we covered the ground thoroughly, and

stepped close to her, she would flutter away and reveal her secret.



