DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS: BLUE-WINGED TEAL 125 
nested on the small tule-covered islands in the lake (Bailey). Near Koehler Junc¬ 
tion, while not so abundant as the Green-wing, they were seen on numerous occa¬ 
sions between July 28 and October 24,1913 (Kalmbach). [On the Rio Grande Gun 
Club lakes, 6 miles southwest of Albuquerque, they were seen June 16,1919 (Ligon).] 
During migration it is common up to 8,400 feet on the top of the Chuska Moun¬ 
tains, and one was seen August 23, 1904, on the Costilla River at an altitude of 9,400 
feet (Bailey). It is among the earlier migrating ducks and usually few flocks 
remain in the State after early October; [near Albuquerque it was common October 
15-November 1 in 1917, though none were seen in 1918 (Leopold)]; one was noted 
October 20, 1898, at Roswell (Barber); three were taken near Tularosa November 
6, 1902 (Gaut); and several remained the first three weeks of November, 1908, 
near Blanco in extreme northern New Mexico (Birdseye). 
Fifty years ago the species was reported as wintering on the Mimbres (Henry). 
In the Las Cruces region of the Rio Grande “a rather large number remain over 
winter in secluded places’' (Merrill). On the Carlsbad Bird Reserve it was noted 
February, 1914 (Wilder); reported as seen occasionally in January, 1915; noted 
in the winter of 1915-16; [600 estimated December, 1916; also, on the Rio Grande 
Bird Reserve (Elephant Butte), noted November 23-December 9, 1916 (Willett).] 
This is one of the latest ducks to move northward in spring migration; compara¬ 
tively few appear in the State before the middle of April, and it is late in May before 
the last of the migrants have departed—May 25, 1890, at Carlisle (Barrell). One 
was taken May 11, 1900, at Willis (Birtwell).—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. Generally on dry ground in thick grass either close by or far from water, 
but sometimes among reeds or cat-tails, or in cavities on muskrat houses; made 
variously and crudely or skillfully of bits of soft grasses, reeds, or cat-tail blades, 
lined with cream colored down. Eggs: 6 to 12, pale olive-buff or creamy buff. 
Food. Mainly vegetable matter, as the seeds, roots, and tender blades of water 
plants, grasses, pondweeds, duck weeds, wild millet, wapato, and especially wild 
rice; but also snails, tadpoles, and many insects, including grasshoppers and locusts. 
General Habits. —If seen at a distance, lying resting on a lake 
shore, the little Blue-wing drake may be taken for a block of wood, his 
white face crescent and the white spot at the base of the tail serving to 
hold the eye, to the loss of the duck form. 
Only a size larger than the Green-wing, the Blue-wing also is fond 
of quiet water ways, being the characteristic Teal of the prairie lakes and 
sloughs. When occurring together, as they do on the prairies, it is said 
that the Blue-wings, Green-wings, Mallards, Shovellers and Canvas- 
backs often lay their eggs in one another’s nests. 
On the edge of a flooded meadow early in summer a small band may 
suddenly light before your astonished eyes and begin nodding and 
bowing to one another in absorbed courtship play. Later in the season, 
in some quiet secluded spot, perhaps a tree-encircled grassy marsh, as a 
Bittern stealthily vanishes, a pair of the little ducks may rise from your 
feet and go swerving off to cover. 
And again, as you drive along an overgrown road by a remote lake 
shore, a small brown duck may burst away from before the horses, and 
though you hurry to examine the nest with its little brown eggs barely 
missed by the horses’ feet and the wagon wheels, almost before you can 
