. Rod and gun . epng along the creeks an^^bright day. sleeping, yet easily is only at night that the gadwall reallywakes up for full feeding and conversa-tion. It is then more garrulous than anparrot, uttering its sharp, continuousgabbling quacks until one would thinkit must stop from sheer exhaustion. As I write this, in early February, theAmerican widgeon can be seen from my desk window, mating. Five, six, severrdrakes to one demurely clothed several weeks this noisy love makingwill be kept up. Twitpeet, peet, theycall, then a clear whistle, then a groupof notes as sweet
. Rod and gun . epng along the creeks an^^bright day. sleeping, yet easily is only at night that the gadwall reallywakes up for full feeding and conversa-tion. It is then more garrulous than anparrot, uttering its sharp, continuousgabbling quacks until one would thinkit must stop from sheer exhaustion. As I write this, in early February, theAmerican widgeon can be seen from my desk window, mating. Five, six, severrdrakes to one demurely clothed several weeks this noisy love makingwill be kept up. Twitpeet, peet, theycall, then a clear whistle, then a groupof notes as sweet as ever woodland birduttered. All this time one drake is swim-ming closely about the duck, driving oflfthe other lovers by frantic rushes. Poorliirds. they lose all caution. We can walkout on to the verandah of our inlet-sidebungalow, and they continue the lovemaking undisturbed ; they know full wellI never shoot from this shore. Now anIndian, in cedar brush, ark-shaped, cover-ed canoe, sweeps along silently. Up. Black Duck Eating Frog, springs the flock, the attendant drakecircling above, below, around his chosen-mate, driving ofif the encircling rivals,,even in mid air. By the first of Marchshe has chosen her mate, and togetherthey drive ofif the other drakes. Thesebirds are local, wintering and summeringwithin a few miles of one spot. Wehave taken them from the Pacific to cen-tral Ontario. The nest was on theground, the eggs were fairly white, justtinted with yellow, the setting bird veryshy. In fact, excepting in the matingseason, this bird is shy, springing to aheight of five feet from the water at thefirst rustle of a bush or the appearance ofthe canoe around a bend. Excellent eat- 11^6 ROD AND GUX IX CANADA
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