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November 10, 1994 - Winter: The Season of Choice for Ducks6A • The Suffolk Times,* November 10, 1994 Winter: The Season of Choice for Ducks By Paul Stoutenburgh the ground, which makes it an -� These mild, beautiful days of late fall have given a second chance for the stragglers of migration. Just the other play I saw a Monarch butterfly lazily working its way westward. Cold weather immobilizes these cold - blooded insects. I know this for I've often wanted to pho- tograph an unco- operative butterfly Focus on or moth that wouldn't stay still Nature and I had to resort to putting the un- manageable lepidoptera in the refrigera- tor to cool down. Within a short time the cold quiets my subject to a point where I can photograph it in its paralyzed state. I have to work fast for it soon warms up and is up and away, no worse for the wear. Of course, there are always those whose genes or some physical problem do not allow them to migrate or move soon enough and for that defect they shall perish. It is nature's way of weed- ing out the inferior so that the strong can carry on. Those of you who live on one of our creeks on the East End have probably seen a change in the bird population out on the water. After a busy nesting season in the more rugged north, bufflehead, oldsquaw, black ducks and mergansers are showing up in their winter splendor. The little bufflehead, with its gaudy black- and -white coloring, is always on the move, spending most of its time below the surface of the water in search of small fish, snails and almost any- thing that moves before it on our creek bottoms. Here in the creeks and bays they'll stay through the winter. The only thing that will move them on is a solid covering of ice. Then it's time to move out into the open bays or head farther south to open water. It's hard to realize that this plump lit- tle duck nests in hollow trees but that's its preferred site. Like the wood duck it hatches its clutch of young high above adventurous drop for the little ones, but they seem to survive it with merely a bounce and a scur- ry off, ready to follow the mother off to the water when all are down. This journey could be the most perilous time of their life because on land baby ducks are hors d'oeuvres for some roaming fox, weasel or soaring hawk. But these hazards are all taken into account in the big scheme of things and most survive the ordeal and prosper so that each year we look forward to their return to our waterways to keep us company through the some- times dreary days of winter. The oldsquaw, although mostly found in our bays and Sound dur- ing the winter, often visit our creeks for a change of diet. Another black - and -white duck but larger than the bufflehead with long, dashing tail feathers is a true sea duck that seems to enjoy the wild, cold winds of winter. No matter how stormy it can get, old - squaws seem to frolic in the turbulent windblown waters; like the bufflehead, they seek shelter far below where they feed. A fast flier, the oldsquaw becomes one of the most difficult ducks for the hunters to hit, particularly if he's flying with a strong wind behind him. On quiet days he's a talker and you can hear his rolling yodel from far across the, bay. He'll not do this yodel- ing in our creeks though. He needs lots of space around him before he gives off with his recital. The female is not as gaudy as the male but flies in the pattern and with the speed of a good oldsquaw. Their nesting grounds are in the arctic tundra, away from trees and man. I've often been asked where birds sleep, say, like the oldsquaw. Most wa- terbirds do just as the name implies. They sleep on the water. Our common gulls find a spot out of the wind and set- Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh OLDSQUAWS —These handsome sea ducks have just returned from their arctic nesting grounds to spend the winter in our local waters. Listen for their talkative "Ow owdle ow" on quiet days. Some wildlife biolo- gists believe it's only a matter of time before the magnificent black duck is no more. 111_11MI69A 1 wwi,1111 OdWhh.�S- arm% 110 YVVA ivaIWIR 82 Years Ago Nov. 9, 1912 Town Working to Improve Roads: A petition is being circulated in Southold Town in the hopes that a state road will be built from the town line at Laurel, eastward as far as Greenport Village. This petition, when completed, will be turned over to the Town Board, which will present it to the voters at the next town election. Some of those interested in the movement want the good road extended all the way to Orient Point, thereby making a fine stretch of roadway from one end of the town to the other. Greenport will probably have to be eliminated, as it is an incorporated village. But Greenport, too, is getting the good roads fever, and will not be outdone by her neighbors. 50 Years Ago Nov. 10, 1944 Old Basket Donated to Library: Recently Mr. William Loper of Orient presented the Shelter Island Library a very interesting handmade splint basket, which was woven by Betty Tobey, the last Indian squaw living on Shelter Island. Her wigwam was on Sachem's Neck. The basket belonged to the late Lillian Loper's grandmother, Mrs. John Tuthill, who for years had used it as an egg basket. Coast Guard Activities End in Greenport: tle down for the night. The same is true of the bufflehead, mergansers and others who frequent our creeks. Usually their choice is out in the bay, away from the confines of our narrow creeks- Black ducks don't feed to any great extent during the day but do most of their foraging at night on farmers' disked -up corn fields or the sandy edges of a creek where they can paddle out. Small, soft clams will suit them fine. The black duck's resting period is during the day when he sleeps like a bobbing cork someplace where it's quiet and away from man. Another new arrival in our creeks is the red - breasted merganser, or shell - drake, as the old- timers called them. This duck has an entirely different bill than most ducks. It's long and narrow and equipped with a series of sharp, little teeth for holding slippery critters it extracts from around and under rocks and seaweed. We usually see the females and young in their nondescript brownish coloring. Later in the winter when the males move in with their dress suits on The Coast Guard Captain of the Ports office at Greenport offi- cially ceased operations on Wednesday of this week and will be liquidated as soon as possible. The reason for the closing of the office is that more Coast Guardsmen are needed for overseas duty. At the time that the office ceased operations this week the personnel included 36 men and seven boats. With the closing of the Captain of the Ports office the wartime Coast Guard activities at Greenport were brought to a close. It was in July 1942 that the Coastal Picket Base was established here. This base was closed in November 1943. The Captain of the Ports office was established here in May 1942. 25 Years Ago Nov-14,1969 News of Local Servicemen: Marine Sgt. Martin Mitchell, son of Mrs. Ethel Singleton of Greenport, is present- ly serving in Vietnam with the First Marine Division. In a let- ter to a friend received in Greenport this week Sgt. Mitchell, who is on Hill No. 60, said, "Actually it isn't too bad over here. This really is a beautiful country. It would be much nicer if `Ol' Charlie' would quit sneaking around at night." New Society Forms: There will be a meeting of those interested in the founding of a Village Improvement Society at the Townsend Manor Inn in Greenport at 8 o'clock Tuesday, Nov. 18. It is not necessary to be a resident or tax- payer of Greenport. All people of good will with an interest in the village will be welcome. we see an entirely different bird. Now white and iridescent greens and greys make this one of our most handsome winter ducks. It also has a characteristic rakish headdress that can be raised and lowered to impress the lady fair when courting time comes around. But for now we'll have to settle for the more mundane coloring of the breed. This bird is found universally in our creeks, bays and Sound wherever food is plentiful. The merganser does not nest commonly on our island but is found nesting more to the north in lakes and streams. The Hunter's Favorite Of the four ducks I mentioned the black duck is the most prized by the hunters. The others are said to be more like eating fish than a duck. Black ducks are one of the species of ducks that is having a difficult time keeping its identi- ty. The big reason is that the common mallard, most of which are seen around here and semitame, have bred with the black duck to the extent that some wildlife biologists believe it's only a matter of time before this magnificent duck will be no more. Another factor against its survival is that its nesting sites are constantly being invaded by man. A more secretive nester than the mallard, it is finding it harder and harder to get away to those lonely spots that were once common in our marshes, lakes and streams but now have been taken over by man. You probably have noticed I haven't mentioned the common mallard as one of the returning ducks to our area for most of the mallards we see have been raised and bred almost in our own back- yards. Most have lost their fear of man. Nevertheless, they are part of the interest we all look forward to when we look across the waters around us. The more we become familiar with our web - footed friends, the more life in general becomes rewarding. It's just a matter of seeing. Career Night Slated RIVERHEAD— Career Exploration Night will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, at Suffolk Community College's eastern campus. To make a reservation, call 548 -2512 by Nov. 15.