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Painted

Published

1930

Volume

3

Plate

172-172a

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Canada Goose

Branta canadensis canadensis

DESCRIPTION

HARK, that is more than Wild Geese going south,
That cry from a cloud at the autumn's sunset edge,
As keen as the word in a lonely prophet's mouth —
It is promise and pledge!
THEY will return, they will break on the old earth's grieving
With clear, sweet clamor, prevailing on and on;
And they will be more than a wedge of wild birds cleaving
Home thru an April dawn.
(Nancy Turner)

September mist was dense when I stowed snipe decoys and gun in the little "cat", eased sheets and edged slowly across Shinnecock Bay toward the "Hole-in-the-wall." A slight bow wave rippled faintly, the only sound in this gray world. There was no compass so I had to trust that the light offshore wind would hold true. A casual touch on the tiller kept the boat on its course while I lolled on the cockpit seat, smoking the morning pipe and then — Action front!

In the void ahead sounded Honk — ee — honk — honk! That wild weird call which thrills me even now, forty years later. Geese! The thot shot thru me that it was early in the season for these lordly birds but — there they were, big as ostriches, starting to flap away before the oncoming craft.

Bang! BANG! — and I had a monster in the boat. It was a CANADA all right, yet while I gloated a little ghost of doubt dampened my excitement. Didn't Lane have some tame Geese decoys and maybe — anyway I went on over to the snipe blind and set out the wooden dummies.

'Long about ten o'clock young Lane sauntered over from his stand, glanced into the cockpit and remarked:

"See you've downed one of the old man's Geese. Always told him he better not let 'em run loose or some dam' fool'd nip 'em."

Fog frequently demoralizes their sense of direction and the leader of a flock almost knocked me down (would have if I hadn't ducked) on a Long Island ridge.

Another weird memory is a flock which drove by our schooner while we hove to in a nor'easter on Georges Bank, in November. Out of scud they appeared for a moment and passed, going well over one hundred miles an hour.

It is probable that they mate for life and are model parents. The gander will fight anything which menaces his home and even when in late summer the female is unable to fly, her care of the youngsters does not relax. They are altogether admirable and I am glad the old shooting mania has long since left me. To lure them to destruction with anchored live birds always seemed a lowdown trick.

Their dark forms belong against the sunset sky or blue heaven — not fluttering in death throes before a blind.

BREEDING

NEST: on dry ground: sometimes in trees! Constructed of twigs, rushes, grass and downlined.

EGGS — 5 to 9: varying shades of green, yellow or buff white.

RANGE

North America.

Hutchin Goose

Branta canadensis hutchinsi

DESCRIPTION

Habits and breeding similar to Canada Goose.

EGGS — smaller.

BREEDING

RANGE

Western North America. A few records on Atlantic coast.

canada-goose
merganser
Merganser
129
redbreast-merganser
Redbreast Merganser
130
hood-merganser
Hood Merganser
131
mallard
Mallard
132
black-duck
Black Duck, Redleg Black Duck
133-133a
florida-duck-mottled-duck
Florida Duck, Mottled Duck
134-134a
gadwall
Gadwall
135
redhead-widgeon
Redhead Widgeon
136
baldpate
Baldpate
137
greenwing-teal
Greenwing Teal
139
bluewing-teal
Bluewing Teal
140
cinnamon-teal
Cinnamon Teal
141
shoveler
Shoveler
142
pintail
Pintail
143
wood-duck
Wood Duck
144
redhead
Redhead
146
canvasback
Canvasback
147
scaup-duck
Scaup Duck
148
lesser-scaup-duck
Lesser Scaup Duck
149
ringneck-duck
Ringneck Duck
150
goldeneye
Goldeneye
151
barrow-goldeneye
Barrow Goldeneye
152
bufflehead
Bufflehead
153
oldsquaw
Oldsquaw
154
harlequin-duck
Harlequin Duck
155
steller-eider
Steller Eider
157
spectacled-eider
Spectacled Eider
158
northern-eider
Northern Eider
159
eider
Eider
160
pacific-eider
Pacific Eider
161
king-eider
King Eider
162
scoter
Scoter
163
whitewing-scoter
Whitewing Scoter
165
surf-scoter
Surf Scoter
166
ruddy-duck
Ruddy Duck
167
mask-duck
Mask Duck
168
snow-goose
Snow Goose
169
blue-goose
Blue Goose
169.1
greater-snow-goose
Greater Snow Goose
169a
ross-goose
Ross Goose
170
whitefront-goose
Whitefront Goose
171a
canada-goose
Canada Goose, Hutchin Goose
172-172a
whitecheek-goose
Whitecheek Goose
172b
cackling-goose
Cackling Goose
172c
brant
Brant
173a
black-brant
Black Brant
174
barnacle-goose
Barnacle Goose
175
emperor-goose
Emperor Goose
176
blackbelly-treeduck
Blackbelly Treeduck
177
fulvous-treeduck
Fulvous Treeduck
178
whistling-swan
Whistling Swan
180
trumpeter-swan
Trumpeter Swan
181
flamingo
Flamingo
182
roseate-spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill
183
white-ibis
White Ibis
184
glossy-ibis
Glossy Ibis
186
whiteface-glossy-ibis
Whiteface Glossy Ibis
187
wood-ibis
Wood Ibis
188
bittern
Bittern
190
least-bittern
Least Bittern
191
cory-least-bittern
Cory Least Bittern
191.1
great-white-heron
Great White Heron
192
great-blue-heron
Great Blue Heron
194
northwestern-coast-heron-ward-heron
Northwestern Coast Heron, Ward Heron
194a-194b
egret
Egret
196
snowy-egret
Snowy Egret
197
redish-egret
Redish Egret
198
louisiana-heron
Louisiana Heron
199
little-blue-heron
Little Blue Heron
200
green-heron
Green Heron
201
frazer-green-heron-anthony-green-heron
Frazar Green Heron, Anthony Green Heron
201a-201b
blackcrown-night-heron
Blackcrown Night Heron
202
yellowcrown-night-heron
Yellowcrown Night Heron
203
whooping-crane
Whooping Crane
204
little-brown-crane
Little Brown Crane
205
sandhill-crane
Sandhill Crane
206
limpkin
Limpkin
207