Jan., 1918 A RETURN TO THE DAKOTA LAKE REGION 3.3 



The pair of Shovellers that frequented our shallow water were apparently 

 enjoying themselves in the interval before family cares and duties should be- 

 come all engrossing. The drake seemed to spend most of his time there and the 

 duck came over at intervals from the nest, when they swam about together 

 feeding by putting their heads under water and where the water was deep 

 enough to admit it, standing on their bills with their tails up. When the drake 

 stood on a stone at the head of the slough, his big body and white breast made 

 him conspicuous, but when he squatted down, his white breast was obliterated 

 and his black head rested on his magenta belly making him suggest an incon- 

 spicuous Mallard ! On the other hand, when surprised on the grassy edge of 

 the slough when he had apparently retired for the night, he raised his blackish 

 head and stretched his white neck enquiringly, showing his true colors. 



The brown duck when swimming through the short grass and weeds was 

 almost invisible. "When feeding, if she turned her head on one side to pick 

 something from the grass blade, the orange under mandible of her spoon bill 

 showed strikingly, and when she stretched her wing with her orange foot it 

 showed across the water making a good recognition mark to supplement the 

 wide mouthed bill. In bathing she dipped under water and then rose and flap- 

 ped her wings till the white axillars showed. After bathing, at one time, she 

 started and swam straight across the slough, the drake following close at her 

 heels, and when she stepped, up on dry land, he followed up beside her ; after 

 which they both stood and preened and shook their feathers till they looked 

 dry and clean, there being plenty of time for standing around and visiting. 

 Unfortunately I moved and disturbed their rest, but they only flew over to- 

 ward the open water of the black streak. 



There was frequent shifting back and forth from the slough to the black 

 streak and from the streak to the slough. When it was not a Shoveller that 

 came dow T n with orange feet stuck out conspicuously, it was sometimes a Gad 

 wall that dropped down with brown wing coverts showing, or perhaps a heavy 

 brown duck that rose and flew over the marsh with the loud quack of the Mal- 

 lard. 



A pair of Mallards that I found on the edge of the small slough where the 

 interloping Shoveller was punished, were for the moment reversing their usual 

 role, the brown duck standing with neck stretched up watching me while her 

 mate lay at ease pluming his feathers, showing his handsome green head, white 

 collar, and reddish brown breast. This pair when disturbed by the horses com- 

 ing in to the slough, instead of shifting over to the black streak flew with wide 

 wing beats over the trees, soaring down onto the lake. And later in the day I 

 found a Mallard drake feeding along the line of white foam that had blown in 

 from the lake, making quick jabs down in front of him, and once swinging 

 around quickly as if to secure a morsel he was in danger of losing. A brood of 

 Mallards was found later — the last week in August — on the Big Ditch, and 

 when I pressed too close the conspicuously large mother wisely flew T off, leav- 

 ing the tiny mottled young to disappear in the protecting cover of the bank. 



But while female Mallards now and then rose from our long pasture 

 slough, that particular feeding ground was resorted to mainly by Shovellers — 

 two pairs I thought called it home — together with Blue-winged Teal. Coot from 

 the marsh the other side of the fence, and an occasional Pintail. A Pintail 

 drake would swim around watchfully, his head with its handsome brown cheek 

 patch topping his long white neck, his body riding high, held together trimly 



