Wild-Fowl of Wild-Fowl 



and, clad in white, build ice-stands along the edge 

 of the channel, and shoot large numbers of the 

 unwitting fowl that follow the lane of water. 



The coastwise spring migration becomes appar- 

 ent during the last half of March, reaches its height 

 in the first half of April, and is practically over early 

 in May, the procession ending with large loitering 

 flocks of the Scoters, late breeders as they appear 

 to be. In the return flight of autumn flocks of male 

 Scoters will put in an appearance as early as the lat- 

 ter part of August. Then in September some of 

 the young appear, but there are no great numbers 

 till October, and not till nearly November, or until 

 the frosts become severe, do some of the hardier 

 sea Ducks and the Geese arrive. There are consid- 

 erable differences in their manner of migration. 

 Most of them, it is true, follow the coast line, but 

 individual flocks keep just out of gunshot from the 

 shore, while others fly miles from land. The direc- 

 tion of the wind has much to do with this. With a 

 strong wind blowing on shore, most of them fly 

 close in, while on calm days they are apt to be far out. 

 Moreover, some species, as the Scoters, Oldsquaws 

 and Eiders, ordinarily fly low over the water, though 

 they often will rise if they suspect danger, while the 

 Mergansers, Scaups, Golden-eyes or "Whistlers," 

 and most of the others, are apt to fly high. 



Conditions of wind have also much effect upon 

 the number of fowl to be seen in migration, even 

 in the height of the season. Some days almost no 

 birds are seen, while on others thousands are 

 passing. The strengthening east wind preceding a 

 storm is a great time for a flight. An east wind is 



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