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Painted

Published

1930

Volume

3

Plate

163

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Scoter

Oidemia americana

DESCRIPTION

Clear of Pumpkin Nob we caught it! The first sou'wester was driving steep seas across Hussey Sound, clipping their tips into scintilating sun jewels.

Under double reefs the little sloop stood up to her work and the ebb tide hurried us seaward with a long and short leg. Presently we were up with the Overset. Rounding the point, sheets were eased and we slid off eastward into thousands of Coots. There they were! — lifting easily on the transparent emerald face of a comber or lost in the flying spindrift. Some waited until the sloop was nearly on top and then ducked — casually. Few took to the air. In our wake they gathered in little bunches, gutterally discussing the strange bird which went slashing thru their ranks.

Under the lee of the islands there was plenty of quiet water but the SCOTERS preferred the tumultuous windward seas. A Scoter seems literally of India rubber — muscles hard and their entire frame knit and powerful to withstand buffetings and pressure of old Neptune. They dive to 100 feet and wrench the food loose with their strong jaws.

Digestion is extraordinary. Clams and mussels are swallowed whole. The gravel-toothed gizzard punches holes in the shells and nutriment extracted and bivalves have been taken from their stomachs still clenched! — Even some of my old lumberjack experts on beans, flapjacks and bacon might well envy such assimilating capacity.

BREEDING

NEST: of grass, leaves and down, in salt or fresh water marshes; sometimes bank or rock crevices.

EGGS — 6 to 10: pale cream.

RANGE

Northern North America. Winters on Atlantic Coast south to New Jersey.

scoter
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