One thing about being camped here at Flamingo Lake in Jax is
the large spring fed pond and the ducks it attracts. This might not mean much
to any of you, but observing wild duck behavior on this little lake has
been fascinating and a real treat for this ex-duck hunter. Back in the day I was a decent shotgunner and I always bagged my fair share of game be it ducks, doves or quail. I still enjoy the occasional trip to the sporting clays range to pretend hunt. I can still swing a shotgun ok. Sorry. The point of the story isn't my prowess with a shotgun, but rather how exciting it is to
watch ducks come and go from a lake. There isn't anything comparable to being
on a lake and watching the massive rafts of ducks get off the water just after sunrise. In some areas of the country those flocks can black out
the morning sky as if to delay sunrise. There are few kinds of hunting that
have the adrenelin thrill of ducks diving from high altitude down into your
decoys. This late afternoon I sat up front in the driver's seat of my motor home and watched
large flocks of bluebills dive into our pond to roost for the night. It's a
real sight to see a whole flock make one unanimous move to set their wings and lose altitude at an alarming rate. The wings set rigid in scemitar shapes ending in sharp
pointed wing tips bent in arcs like sections of an umbrella. When they get below the tree tops they level out and start
veering this way and that looking for the perfect place to set down on the
water. I watched wishing they'd come closer to me to within shotgun range. It
was just an instinctive thought on my part. I don't shoot ducks any more, but I still
have an excited reaction to this kind of organized chaos with ducks diving this way and that. Some of the ducks swam up
close to the motor home and I was able to watch them at 20 feet. Using my 8x
binoculars I was able to view the tiniest details of their little bodies. With
bluebills and most other species the drakes get all the bright feathering. With bluebills the contrast is mostly in black and white. Drake bluebills also have bright golden eyes, blue hued bills and a
distinctive bright white ring around the bill about 1/3 the way back. From a long
distance you can recognize bluebills by the drake's stark white belly. There is no
mistaking the drake. The hen, on the other hand is much more subtle in her
earth tones. I would assume they are her camouflage for nesting on shorelines
in northern Canada. There was one hen that came within 20 feet of where I was
sitting. She'd dive in one quick motion and disappear for up to about 20
seconds all the while leaving a bubble trail up on the surface. I never thought
about it before, but it makes sense that a duck that naturally floats might need
some help sinking and exhaling would be the solution. Anyway, it was by
watching the bubbles that I could keep track of a particular individual duck.
The markings on the hens are similar to blue wing teal and at one point I thought I might
have a few teal mixed in with my bluebills. I hope to see other species on the
lake as the season progresses.
On the same subject of ducks I did see something the other day
I'd never seen before. I saw a bald eagle trying to catch ducks that were
sitting on the water. The scene was reminiscent of dolphins attacking a pod of
baitfish. Every time the eagle swooped low the ducks would disperse in all
directions flying or diving. I suspect this game has a low rate of success for
the eagles as the ducks seemed very adept at getting away. I guess that's why
duck populations are so strong today. It was still a pretty dramatic scene,
though, and with every dive the eagle made I didn't really know who to cheer
on. Initially, I found myself siding with the smaller, seeming underdog ducks.
But, as much as I love watching ducks I enjoy watching eagles and ospreys even
more. Both raptors have made a very strong come back in Florida. Last winter
it seemed that most everywhere I turned I was seeing both birds in
significant numbers. The most shocking eagle sighting was in Leesburg, Florida
on a high traffic week day near downtown. There is an eagle nesting on top of a
light pole over the sidewalk on Hwy 441 and it seems oblivious to the people,
trucks and cars. Talk about adaptive. While visiting a good friend in Tarpon
Springs I walked Romeo one morning only to look up and see a bald eagle sitting
on top of the house eye'ing my little 4 lb. maltese. I wouldn't be surprised to
learn of neighbors losing pets to that big fella. If you've never been up close
to a mature bald eagle they are magnificently large creatures with large talons
and beaks to match their appetites. When I mentioned eagles to a friend
recently on the phone he told me of an eagle sighted eating a dead skunk on the
side of the road. While I've never seen anything like that I don't doubt his
word. I didn't really know if they scavenged, but now I do.
Changing the subject completely it's time to get estimates to
fix the deer damage to the motor home. I think I'll start the search for a
suitable repair facility in Orlando and span out from there. I've got an offer
to stay with a fellow Viking, Ray B., in Orlando. I've mentioned his name
before as I stayed with good 'ole Ray last winter for several weeks. We used a
row boat and went out and caught lots of bass in the lake near his house. Ray
is a true fishing authority and I really enjoy fishing with him. He's like
having a free guide and I must say I'm always learning something from Ray. I
hope to get him out surf fishing at Canaveral towards the end of February. It's
past time to hit the rack, so I'll sign off now.
mb/jd
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