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November 19, 1981 - Canvasbacks and KettleholesSECOND SECTION C114r Tirulli-Ervirm November 19, 1981 Canvasbacks and Kettleholes One of the advantages of enjoying the outdoors is that no matter where you are there always seems to be something to see. Just last week I was working on a cottage nestled alongside one of our freshwater lakes. It was one of those rare warm fall days when leaves on the ground were new and every step created a world of crispness. Most of the leaves were off the trees, but a few held on in defiance, waving their flags of brilliant red and yellow. Summer had left and the lake was now taken over by a feeling of quiet and loneliness. In the lee of the shore, the wind merely played gently in the tree- tops. The lake took on the appearance of a forgotten jewel in the far north. There was no sign of man's activity -- except a few abandoned cottages nestled behind the trees, now boarded up and mute for the winter. The natural world ruled here. Walking down to the clear sandy beach in front of the cabin, I tried to visualize how this lake was formed. Reading about our kettlehole lakes, I had found all were circular and deep. Theory has it when the great glaciers of ten to fifteen thousand years ago moved down from the north, the debris they brought with them created Long Island. Long Island Sound to the north was the great depression made by the glacier when it slid over the bed rock of Connecticut. It's hard to imagine an endless cliff of ice running halfway across our country thousands of feet high and extending far to the north. Over eons of time the temperature changed and the great mass of ice stopped and slowly melted. Tor- rents of water poured out and ran to the sea, which was in those days hundreds of miles from our present shore. Some great chunks of the glacier broke off and were buried. These huge ice cubes remained buried for a long time and as the glacier melted and retreated north- ward the buried chunks of ice started to melt, leaving depressions in the earth. The final result of this massive re- shaping and recreation of the land made our Long Island and created the kettle hole lakes as we know them today. The water level of these lakes basically represents our groundwater level and that in turn represents an approximate bay and Sound level. All our waters are interconnected. When it rains and snows, the water percolates down. If the groundwater level is high, it will run off horizontally underground to our lakes or into our bays and creeks. Have you ever gone swim- ming along the shore and hit a cold spot? That was surplus groundwater running out into the salt water. That's one of the reasons that our creeks are less salty than our bays and our bays less salty than the ocean. As I contemplated these deep thoughts, I was aware of a movement on the glassy water just around the bend. Moving closer I noticed a group of ducks that had already sensed me and moved away. First I thought they were mallards, because they are the most common duck found here, but many of these were mark- ed with great patches of white on their backs and their heads were a different shape. Most duck heads are rounded with a straight bill protruding midway down the face. These ducks had a wedge - shaped head, the bill starting at the top of the head and sloping to the tip of the bill. They made an unusual silhouette. They had to be the famous canvasbacks. Many, many years ago these ducks could be seen by the thousands all along our south shore. They are great divers and enjoy eating roots of eel grass that once grew in profusion in all our waters. Because of their diet of eel grass, sometimes called wild celery, their flesh was especially sought after by the duck hunter. But it was not the duck hunter that lowered the ranks, nor was it the disappearance of the eel grass, although both played their part. It was caused by what was happening thousands of miles away where the ducks nested. In the northern states around Montana, northward through the great province of Manitoba, the potholes, swamps and wet areas were being drained for agriculture. Their nesting grounds were being destroyed. Even today this drainage goes on. The canvasback is one of our most handsome ducks. Its dark front contrast- ed with its white back and rusty head make it an outstanding duck in flight as well as on the water, We're not as fortunate as those along the south shore, where feeding grounds are better, but we occasionally see these handsome ducks in our fresh -water ponds and shallow bays. Each year I tell myself I see a few more of them, but I'm almost afraid to believe it. Once their numbers were so low they were taken off the hunting list; when returned, only one or two could be taken. I felt privileged to see them swimming before me. Later when I looked out, they had left the center of the lake and were back feeding quietly around the bend. Whenever I went down to the water's edge, they'd hear me and silently paddle out to a safe distance. There they'd stop and wait. I actually felt I was intruding. Somehow, somewhere in back of their genes is a very questionable note con- cerning man. Man is a predator to be feared and they would take no chances. Inwardly I felt good about that, for perhaps this inward fear in the long run would save them. I surely hope so. PAULSTOUTENBURGH �o CHAROS CU UND w�. EASTERN L.I.'s LARGEST AUDIO -VIDEO SPECIALISTS AWORLDOFCULTURE 28 Cameron St. ( just off Main St. ) Southampton 2834428 TIMYr�fr•lY i----A1 •II—r /.Y- I- �.!'-4Y•!'I��sY. *CN� LIST PRICE #548Sb ur wa with AOa o' i«n�'. M-Idw NOW �399�� i KPH Sbd•1 SSOB 11 sotlYsTR -V %1 Over 50 Major Brands "!1?1'"�1I11Ilill f # Custom Installations Personalized Service 50 MAJOR BRAND COME SEE OUR COMPLETE Substantial Savin s NAMES ON OISPLAYI g Layaway Now for Christmas VIM DEPARTIRENT All Quantities Are Limitedl WE RENT VIDEO TAPES. Store Hours: 10'- 6 Daily Closed Sundays CANVASBACKS - -Once in a while these handsome ducks are seen on our local waters. Bright white backs and wedge - shaped rusty heads are their true identification marks. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh i7= 14ov • 26 to Tomato Juice C •r o�p, a Fruit Cup Supreme Uh� dte Ci �eY Chopped Chicken Livers der IZ n �lr Marinated Herring in Cream Sauce so Shrimp Cocktail ($1.75 extra)8 FROM THE KETTLE Q Cream of Chicken or Clam Chowder TASTE TEASERS A pleasing array of ripe green Olives, hearts of Celery, Carrot sticks and a hearty basket of fresh baked rolls. COUNTRY GREENS Waldorf Salad on Crisp Lettuce with Pecans "DAY OF HARVEST" Roast Young Turkey with Pecans Choice of Roast Fresh Ham with Champagne Sauce Roast Sirloin of Beef Fresh Peconic Bay Scallops Seafood au gratin Candied Orange Yams, Mashed Potatoes, Turnips, Peas or tiny whole Onions THE SWEETS Hot Butter Crust Apple Pie Tangy Mince Pie Holiday Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Tea - Coffee - Milk EXTRA BONUS Nuts - Mints FOR RESERVATIONS CALL / 477 -0666 ENJOY THE PANORAMIC VIEW 477 -0666' A . �.�LftorrlRE "Directly on Long Island Sound" Greenport, New York a Luncheon 1 � - 3 Dinner 3 - 9 COMPLETE SUNDAY'DINNER Appetizer or Soup $ Salad T �'� Choice of Entree Potato, Vegetable Coffee & Dessert Dancing In The Gold Room SAT. NOV. 21st Clark _Bobby Trio a ! DON LEE at the Piano Bar Friday & Saturday ' We honor All Credit Cards — Gift Certificates ... PLAN YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY NOW!