The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-04-15
FLOCKS OF WATER FOWLS.
They Are Now Moving Northward to
Breeding Points.
From Fridays Daily.

With the advent of spring and the APP
proach of summer, great flocks of water
fowl have been reappearing from the
south. Flock after flock of ducks has
been seen flying northward in this vicini-
ty, searching for suitable places for nest
ing and raising their young. The most
numerous are the gray Mallards, whose
brakes strut about with their green
heads and red breasts. Plentiful, too,
in this part of the country are the Red
Heads, whose feathery hoods appear as
their name indicates, and whose white
necks and blue gray bodies make a very
pretty combination. In fact nearly all
the wild ducks that are shot around here
are beautiful beyond comparison with
the common domestic water fowl. The
canvas backs are colored as their name
implies. These are the ducks for the
epicures. They are remarkably rapid in
flight. The teal is pretty little gray
duck with blush wings. The pin tail
drake has brown head, white neck,
gray back and breast and variegated
wings, while the tail is long and pointed,
popularity whence the bird derives
its name. The female is much palmer.
She has brown head, gray back and
a yellowish gray breast. The Widgeons
are blue for the most part, though there
is some gray here and there. The plump
round form of the butter balls suggests
their name, though they are black and
white. The wood ducks cannot be sur
passed for beauty. Nearly all imaginable
colors seem to have been used by nature
in arranging the plumage of these birds.
Unlike other ducks, the Wood Ducks
build their nests in trees. Hence their
name. The Coot has dark gray body,
white bill, red eyes and green legs. The
Scooter is very dark brown. The Cana
dian Black duck appears in this vicinity
but is quite scarce compared with the
other ducks. The drake is dark brown
and speckled, and has red legs and
brown bill. The female is black but has
some white on the breast.
All these ducks except the wood duck
will soon be breeding among the weeds
on the shores of lakes and swamps
around Mankato and in other localities
where the climate and conditions are
similar. Nobody dares to shoot one of
them, thanks to the benefcent legislation
on the parts of the Minnesota lawmak-
ers. There was a time some years ago
when ducks might be shot in the spring.
Now this is strictly forbidden under
heavy penalties. Wild ducks, geese and
all kinds of water fowl may be shot
in Minnesota only between Sept. l and
Dec. l. Such was one of the strigent
provisions of the game law passed in
1903. Every time the legislature con-
venes in regular session, there is tinker
ing with the game laws. Each time a
game law is passed, the restrictions on
hunters are made more drastic.
Close observers may soon be able to
see passing focks of geese on their
northward journey. Geese are not SO
fond of breeding in the lakes of south
ern Minnesota as are the ducks. The
geese prefer to go away northward into
Canada where they can get as far as pos
sible from civilization and raise their
young in peace. It is criminal offense
to take shot at passing flock of geese
in the spring. In the fall on their way
southwark great numbers of geese may
be killed in Mankato's neighborhood.
Among these are the Canadian geese,
with their plumage of black and white;
the Brant geese with their feathers of
brown; the Solar geese and the White
geese, both breeds being of pure white.
Other water fowl that can be hunted
here, subject to the same restrictions,
are the pelicans, with their broad bills,
constructed so as to be used like fishing
nets; and numerous cranes. Here may
be hunted the sand hill cranes, with
their blush plumage; the White cranes;
the small blue cranes; and the brown
Bitterns. Pelicans and cranes love to
fly to the northern parts of Canada to
raise their young, though there is much
breeding farther south.